California Department of Motor Vehicles It could temporarily halt sales of Tesla cars In the country. This possibility arises after a judge ruled against the company for making misleading claims about Autopilot and full self-driving features.
Based on the decision, the DMV gives Tesla 60 days to take action on how it describes its Autopilot and full self-driving features to consumers.
“If Tesla fails to address the issue, after 60 days it will be subject to a 30-day suspension of its dealer license,” the DMV said in a news release.
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This suspension will prevent Tesla from selling vehicles in the state for those 30 days. The DMV has filed its action to suspend Tesla in the state In JulyBut that was the result of several years of complaints from the department about Tesla’s advertising practices.
Tesla has since added “(Underward)” to its name Full self-driving description and home page.
The DMV blocked a judge’s recommendation that Tesla also face suspension of its manufacturing license in the state and issued a permanent stay on that penalty.
A Tesla representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tesla’s descriptions of it Autopilot and full self-driving It was controversial and is also the subject of a Class action. The debate is over whether Tesla’s marketing of the features implied that they required no supervision or action by the driver. Some lawsuits said this type of marketing exists It led to accidents Engaging drivers who put a lot of trust in Tesla technology.
Meanwhile, Tesla is expanding its self-driving feature To other countries Where you sell vehicles.
Is this just a Tesla battle?
Despite her legal battles and Slowdown in salesTesla remains the largest and most popular electric car maker in the world. Although this also makes it the biggest target for regulatory and legal challenges, the debate over the terminology surrounding autonomous vehicles does not end with Tesla.
“Autonomous driving terminology shapes public expectations, and imprecise language can blur the line between driver assistance and truly autonomous systems,” said Brian Moore, chief policy officer at Autonomous Driving. Bot cara Texas-based self-driving trucking company. “When terms suggest full capability but still rely on human oversight, it creates confusion.”
Moore said that making autonomous vehicles, which are also subject to human oversight, as well as those that are fully automated, needs transparency, accountability and clear language about what these vehicles can and cannot do.
The DMV ruling is a positive step toward creating some of that, he said.
“California’s action shows that regulators are paying more attention to how independent systems are presented to the public, and that the focus on transparency is healthy for the industry,” Moore said.