Following more than a dozen crashes, some of which were deadly, involving Tesla's driving assistance system Autopilot, which was turned on throughout the accidents, the US department of justice opened the previously unreported investigation last year, the people said.
Tesla's marketing brochures began praising Autopilot's capabilities as early as 2016. Elon Musk, the CEO of the Silicon Valley automaker, said in a conference call that year that it was “probably better” than a human driver.
Tesla faces US criminal probe over self-driving claims
Musk stated on a different call last week that Tesla would soon release an updated version of its “Full Self-Driving” software that would enable users to travel “to your work, your friend's house, or to the grocery store without you touching the wheel.”
But the company has also made it clear that while using Autopilot, drivers must maintain control of their cars by keeping their hands on the wheel.
According to the company's website, the Tesla technology is intended to help with steering, braking, speed, and lane changes but its functions “do not make the vehicle autonomous.”
According to the sources, such warnings could make it more difficult for the justice department to prove any case.
Tesla, which shut down its media relations division in 2020, did not react to a Wednesday letter from Reuters.
Additionally, Musk did not reply to written requests for comment. A spokeswoman for the justice department declined to comment.
