By Diane Bartz and David Shepardson
WASHINGTON – The chair of the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) mentioned considerations raised by lawmakers about Tesla Inc’s driver help system often known as Autopilot are “on our radar.”
Following company coverage, FTC Chair Lina Khan, talking in an interview on Tuesday, wouldn't verify nor deny a probe.
“It’s completely true that, you recognize, this can be a difficulty on which many members of Congress have targeted and written to us about, so it’s actually one thing that’s on our radar,” Khan mentioned.
Tesla, which disbanded its press division, didn't reply to a request for remark.
In August, Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal urged the FTC https://www.markey.senate.gov/information/press-releases/markey-and-blumenthal-call-for-ftc-investigation-into-teslas-misleading-advertising-of-driving-automation-systems to probe Tesla, saying the automaker misled customers and endangered the general public by advertising its driving automation methods as totally self-driving.
An FTC investigation may doubtlessly result in a lawsuit in search of to pressure the corporate to vary the way it describes Autopilot’s capabilities. Which may harm Tesla’s popularity.
The August letter got here quickly after the Nationwide Freeway Transportation Security Administration (NHTSA) opened a probe https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2021/INOA-PE21020-1893.PDF into Tesla’s Autopilot and crashes involving parked emergency autos.
NHTSA has opened particular investigations into 35 crashes since 2016 involving Tesla autos during which superior driver help methods like Autopilot have been suspected of being in use. Up to now, 14 deaths have been reported in these incidents, together with three who have been killed in a California crash final month.
Tesla says https://www.tesla.com/autopilot Autopilot assists drivers by enabling autos to steer, speed up and brake mechanically however the options “require energetic driver supervision and don't make the car autonomous.”
In a 2018 letter, NHTSA mentioned Tesla had made “deceptive statements” in regards to the Tesla Mannequin 3 five-star security ranking and related knowledge. The company referred the difficulty to the FTC to research whether or not Tesla’s claims constituted “unfair or misleading acts or practices.”
Two U.S. shopper advocacy teams in 2018 additionally urged the FTC to research Tesla’s naming of Autopilot. The FTC beforehand declined touch upon NHTSA’s referral and has taken no public motion on it.
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