In the letter, the groups stated that Tesla is the only company that presents their Level 2 vehicles as self-driving. They also said that it is now up to the FTC to investigate Tesla and their deceptive and unfair practices so that customers have accurate information. They want consumers to understand clearly the limitations of Tesla’s Autopilot.
Tesla’s Answer
Tesla didn’t comment immediately.
Two drivers in the U.S. died in crashes while the Autopilot was on. Safety regulators are investigating the most recent crash that happened in March.
Tesla’s officials stated that using Autopilot is resulting in 40% fewer crashes. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration repeated this claim in a 2017 report on the first fatal crash. The first crash happened in May 2016. However, the agency said earlier this month that regulators didn’t estimate how effective the technology is.
Questions from the American People:
- Even if Tesla’s Autopilot reduces crash rates, should they make its limitations more explicit in ads? Or should they rely on users to read the manual?
- Is the bad publicity worth Tesla not making the information explicit?
