Tesla Autopilot Under US DOJ Investigation... "Criminal Charges Under Review"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] On the 26th (local time), major foreign media reported that the U.S. Department of Justice is conducting an investigation into Tesla's autonomous driving feature, which has been involved in numerous accidents.

According to reports, the U.S. Department of Justice has launched a confidential investigation following more than 12 collision accidents related to Tesla's autonomous driving feature, 'Autopilot.'

Tesla is under intense scrutiny for allegedly misleading consumers, investors, and regulatory agencies with inaccurate advertising regarding Autopilot.

In particular, the marketing phrase "Tesla vehicles can drive themselves" is being criticized for deceptive advertising that falsely portrayed the autonomous driving technology as fully operational.

The advertisement video posted on Tesla's website states that "(the driver) does nothing, but the vehicle moves on its own." Although Autopilot is merely an assistive device to aid the driver, the company made it appear as if these devices provide autonomous driving control functions.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's statement that Autopilot is "better technology than human drivers" has also come under investigation.

Sources familiar with the matter said that depending on the investigation results, criminal charges could be filed against the company or its executives.

However, the sources added that since Tesla explicitly warns drivers to "keep their hands on the wheel and maintain control of the vehicle while using autonomous driving features" to prevent overreliance on Autopilot, it may be difficult to actually file charges.

Previously, in May 2016, a Tesla Model S driving on a Florida road in Autopilot mode collided with a semi-trailer, resulting in the driver's death. Since then, 11 more accidents related to Autopilot have occurred consecutively, with increasing numbers of deaths and injuries.

Meanwhile, Tesla has declined to comment officially on the Department of Justice investigation. CEO Musk has previously dismissed the possibility of defects, stating that accidents occurring during Autopilot driving are "unrelated to our system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.