Germany has been making headlines of late in their growing scrutiny of vehicle legislation, both from the angle of autonomous systems and pollution-generating internal combustion engines. In this case, however, the conflict lies with the former.
Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s Transport Minister, has said after deliberation from other members of the ministry, it finds Tesla’s use of the term ‘Autopilot’ in its advertising and marketing to be misleading, hinting that the car does not require a driver when in fact it does. The problem is exacerbated when words such as those do not translate as accurately into other languages.
A ministry spokesperson confirmed that a written notice had been sent to Tesla in California according to a report by national newspaper Bild am Sonntag, which read: "In order to prevent misunderstanding and incorrect customers' expectations, we demand that the misleading term Autopilot is no longer used in advertising the system.”
Reuters had also requested comment from the German Transport Ministry, to which they 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,”
A Tesla spokeswoman told the newswire: "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," she said.
A team under Dobrint’s charge issued a letter to owners of Tesla cars to warn them individually that their cars could not be operated without their intervention and that they would need to pay attention at all times to the road when the car is moving.
Tesla’s Autopilot self-driving system is a feature being touted by the EV maker for its Model S and Model X vehicles. It uses a combination of sensors and cameras to detect the road ahead, along with other vehicles and road signs, to be able to steer and brake on its own.
However, and despite warnings by Tesla to owners to always keep alert and ready to take back control of the vehicle, some reckless owners have been rather cavalier with the system’s limitations. Videos have emerged showing drivers sleeping while the car ‘drives’ down the motorway, some even occupying the rear seats while doing so.
In May 2016, a man was killed when his Tesla Model S, which was operating on Autopilot mode, was involved in a collision with a truck as it was exiting an intersection in Florida.
For more on Tesla vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
