Tesla faces ban from selling cars in California
Why Tesla could be banned from selling cars in this US state
- California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is seeking to ban Tesla car sales for at least 30 days, alleging the company misled customers over its self-driving capabilities.
- A DMV lawyer told an Oakland court that Tesla's marketing and feature names, such as 'Autopilot' and 'Full Self-Driving', imply autonomy which the vehicles do not possess.
- The DMV has received complaints from Tesla owners regarding these features, with a 2023 state law prohibiting deceptive marketing of semi-autonomous driving systems.
- Separately, a Florida court heard testimony about a 2019 fatal accident where a Tesla driver claimed the Autopilot feature failed, one of many incidents recorded by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Despite regulatory challenges, Elon Musk recently discussed plans for a significant rollout of self-driving Robotaxis, though market analysts express scepticism about widespread regulatory approvals.