Germany Says Tesla’s Use of Term ‘Autopilot’ is Misleading

Tesla’s (TSLA.O) advertises their electric vehicles as having an autopilot function. However, the German government views the term “autopilot” as deceptive. On Sunday, German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt asked the company to stop advertising the autopilot feature of the electric cars.

According to a report by Bild am Sonntag, (BamS), the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) wrote a formal request letter to Tesla about the commercial. A spokesperson for the ministry said, “It can be confirmed that a letter to Tesla exists with the request to no longer use the misleading term autopilot for the driver assistance system of the car”.
However, Tesla defended the autopilot function in defining the system as an additional safety feature. A spokeswoman for Tesla reiterated that the system operates alongside a human driver. She also said that the autopilot function had been used for decades in aerospace technology. Tesla’s autopilot includes cameras, radar even ultrasonic sensors to automatically steer, change lanes and adjust speed depending on the traffic situations. Tesla also pointed out to their customers that the system still entails drivers to always be vigilant when driving.

Tesla’s Autopilot function includes cameras, radar even ultrasonic sensors to automatically steer, change lanes and adjust speed depending on the traffic situation. Tesla also pointed out to their customers that the system still requires drivers to always be vigilant when driving.

The spokeswoman also said, “Just as in an airplane, when used properly, Autopilot reduces driver workload and provides an added layer of safety when compared to purely manual driving”.

The KBA, under Minister Dobrindt’s supervision, warned Tesla car owners that they need to operate their vehicles under continuous attention and must remain cautious of traffic regulations.

In a letter KBA sent to Tesla, it said, “In order to prevent misunderstanding and incorrect customers’ expectations, we demand that the misleading term Autopilot is no longer used in advertising the system.”

Tesla’s Autopilot received serious criticism after the May 7 incident, wherein the driver of a Tesla Model S was killed using the system. The vehicle collided with a truck in Florida while using the Autopilot function.

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