NEWSLETTER
The US Department of Justice has requested Tesla for documents related to its Full Self-Driving and Autopilot branded advanced driver assistance systems, the automaker revealed in a securities filing.
Tesla said in the presentation “has received requests from the Department of Justice for documents related to Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD functions.” “To the best of our knowledge, no government agency in any ongoing investigation has concluded that any wrongdoing occurred,” Tesla noted in the 10K filing that was published Monday.
Tesla has been under investigation by the Department of Justice for at least a year, Reuters reported last fall, citing three people familiar with the matter.” It’s unclear if the Justice Department’s request for documents is related to that investigation, which was launched in late 2021 following more than a dozen accidents involving the active use of Tesla’s autopilot system.
Tesla vehicles come standard with an Autopilot-branded driver assistance system. For an additional $15,000, owners can purchase “full self-driving,” or FSD, a feature that CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly promised will one day offer full self-driving capabilities.
None of these systems is autonomous. Autopilot and FSD are advanced driver assistance systems that automate some driving tasks and still require the driver to be ready to take control at any time. Autopilot keeps the vehicle centered in the lane, can automatically change lanes, and maintains the proper distance from other vehicles in traffic. FSD has those features and more, including an active guidance system that steers a car from an on-ramp to a freeway off-ramp, including interchanges and lane changes.
Musk’s claims and promises about these systems, as well as the brand, have drawn the attention of regulators. The Justice Department investigation reflects increased regulatory scrutiny of Tesla.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating Tesla CEO Elon Musk regarding specific comments and efforts to promote the automaker’s claims regarding its “autonomous driving” capabilities. . The investigation follows testimony from a Tesla engineer that a 2016 video purporting to show a Tesla vehicle driving itself was staged and that Musk directed the video.
Tesla has been investigated and sued by various agencies and individuals for its autonomous driving claims. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a series of special investigations into Tesla for accidents involving Autopilot; the California Department of Motor Vehicles accused Tesla of falsely advertising its ADAS; and drivers have sued the company for deceptive marketing.
All the attention hasn’t frustrated Musk. During Tesla’s fourth-quarter 2022 earnings call, Musk said that “total autonomous driving is obviously improving very quickly.” In the past, he’s bragged that Tesla was close to “solving” fully autonomous driving.
