- California’s DMV has reportedly asked a court to pause Tesla sales in the state for 30 days
- The move comes as part of a false advertising lawsuit
Californians may temporarily lose the ability to buy Tesla cars, depending on the outcome of an ongoing lawsuit.
The suit claims that Tesla “made or disseminated statements that are untrue or misleading, and not based on facts” in marketing its automated driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Tesla has sold partial self-driving systems under names like “autopilot” and “full self-driving” for years. The state maintains that the systems’ names are misleading. All of the systems have always required that a driver pay attention and stay ready to take over. Most require the driver to keep their hands on the wheel even if the car is steering on its own.
The state cites language once on Tesla’s website, including claims like “All you will need to do is get in and tell your car where to go. If you don’t say anything, your car will look at your calendar and take you there as the assumed destination.”
That case reached an administrative law judge this week. DMV attorneys asked the judge “to order a 30-day stop sale on Tesla models in California,” reports Road & Track, citing Wards Auto.
Wards Auto itself reports, “Tesla has defended itself throughout the process by telling policymakers that its disclaimers state ‘active human supervision’ is required when engaging Autopilot and FSD and the term ‘self-driving’ is ‘aspirational’ rather than deceptive.”
The judge will issue a proposed decision within 60 days. It could be subject to further appeal.
An adverse finding could dent sales in the state that buys the most Tesla products, and deal a blow to the company’s reputation as a leader in automation just as it attempts to launch a new robotaxi service in several states.
