Elon Musk’s Tesla ‘Self-Driving’ Claim is Facing Criminal Probe, Says New Report

Elon Musk's Tesla "full self-driving" claim is apparently under a federal criminal investigation, a new report discloses.

It turns out that the claim of the giant EV maker that its electric vehicles offer "self-driving" has been facing a criminal probe since last year. And the federal investigation is reportedly still ongoing.

Elon Musk's Tesla 'Self-Driving' Claim

As per the latest news story by Reuters, the "full self-driving" claim of the Musk-owned carmaker for its EVs is under the scrutiny of a criminal investigation in the United States.

The news outlet notes in its new report that three unnamed sources, apparently close to the matter at hand, claimed.

Reuters notes in its report that the giant all-electric carmaker introduced its Autopilot feature to its vehicles in 2016.

Back then, it debuted with driving assistant capabilities, which essentially help drivers to stay on their lanes, among others. During that time, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla, Musk, touts that the Autopilot feature is "probably better" than a person behind the wheel.

According to a recent report by Business Insider, carmakers these days have already started to offer driving assistance capabilities, which potentially attempt to avoid collisions on the roads.

On the other hand, Tesla is a little bit extra. It offers its customers a "full self-driving" feature, along with its less advanced Autopilot driving assist feature.

(Photo : PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)
Seller shows the dashboard of the Tesla Model S car at the electric carmaker Tesla showroom of El Corte Ingles store in Lisbon, on September 1, 2017.

The giant EV maker dubs it the "Full Self-Driving Beta." However, despite its moniker, it still requires its users to touch the wheel while the feature is activated.

Meanwhile, Reuters mentions in its latest report that the Musk-led carmaker is looking to introduce a new version of its "Full Self-Driving" software. Soon enough, the EV maker touts that it would let its users go "to your work, your friend's house, to the grocery store without touching the wheel."

But for now, Tesla drivers are still required to keep their hands on the wheel. Yet, the tech giant states "the person in the driver's seat is only there for legal reasons. He is not doing anything. The car is driving itself."

Criminal Investigation Looks Into Tesla 'Full Self-Driving' Claim

However, it turns out that Tesla's "self-driving" claim is now under a criminal probe by the prosecutors of the US Justice Department, Business Insider reports.

The investigation is specifically determining if the EV maker made such claims that essentially defraud its customers.

Reuters notes in its report that the undisclosed federal investigation started after the driver assistance system of Tesla reportedly figured in a couple of crashes.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris