Justice: Is Tesla responsible for dozens of autopilot deaths?

Tesla is under criminal investigation. That revolves around the question of whether the manufacturer can be held (jointly) liable for dozens of fatal accidents that happened to Tesla on autopilot.

The US Department of Justice launched the criminal investigation last year but did not release it. The Reuters news agency spoke to three people who confirmed the investigation.

Has Tesla Exaggerated Autopilot Capabilities?

Everything revolves around the question of whether Tesla exaggerated Autopilot’s capabilities and is thus (jointly) responsible and liable for the fatal accidents Autopilot was involved in.

Tesla Autopilot is a semi-autonomous driving assistant that always needs a human driver to be alert and intervene. A Tesla with the system switched on is therefore not a self-driving car, as Elon Musk and some media also claim.

Full self-driving capability is not self-driving

According to the Justice Department, Tesla misrepresented Autopilot’s capabilities. In 2016, Musk said the system was “probably better” than a human.

Even the Dutch Tesla website says you can order Autopilot with full self-driving capability. Below that, in the fine print, the system isn’t self-propelled even with the FSD upgrade, but yeah… it’s the name that sticks.

“Trouble From Abuse”

However, Tesla clearly communicates that drivers should keep their hands on the wheel and stay alert. Musk says problems with Autopilot arise when people don’t use it the way Tesla intended.

Yeah, pretty weed. Therefore, one must design such a system in such a way that idiots are protected from themselves. But apparently that’s not happening either, as motorists are still occasionally pulled off the road to take a quiet nap aboard their Model 3 or Model S.

Justice isn’t the only one conducting Tesla investigations

The Justice Department isn’t the only agency investigating Tesla Autopilot. The American RDW and the Californian government also want to know to what extent Tesla’s exaggerated claims have played a role in various fatal accidents.

In Washington and San Francisco, Justice Department officials are investigating whether Tesla misled customers, investors and lawmakers about Autopilot’s capabilities.