Tesla vehicles do not have full self-driving capabilities, and one state is taking steps to prevent them from being advertised as having the technology. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation prohibiting automakers from advertising self-driving vehicles that still require human intervention.
Despite the fact that Tesla sells a costly “Full Self-Driving” upgrade for its vehicles, the system is not fully developed and is not ready for unrestricted public use. Even if it reaches that point, the system does not transform a Tesla into a fully autonomous vehicle, nor does it relieve the driver of the responsibility to take control. Similarly, the Tesla Autopilot function operates more like advanced adaptive cruise control than it does like a system that can control the vehicle indefinitely without driver input.
The new legislation does not specifically mention or target Tesla, but the automaker is the leading EV manufacturer in the US, and its advanced technologies have caused more than their fair share of controversy and been involved in notable crashes. On Thanksgiving, officials shut down the San Francisco Bay Bridge after a Tesla said to be using FSD abruptly stopped, causing collisions that injured 18 people.
Following a series of fatal crashes, the NHTSA launched an investigation into Tesla’s driver assistance features. Many roadside accidents have occurred between drivers using FSD or Autopilot and stationary emergency first responder vehicles. The Autopilot system disengaged just one second before impact in some cases.
Tesla customers appear to be fed up with the marketing ploy as well. Several people filed a class action lawsuit against the automaker earlier this year, claiming that the self-driving technology was misrepresented. The company has pushed for the owners to seek resolution through arbitration, which it has done successfully in the past, but the judge in the case has yet to rule on whether forced arbitration is permissible.