A new California law that goes into effect in 2023 effectively bans Tesla and other automakers from advertising their vehicles as "fully self-driving."
Senate Bill (SB) No. 1398, sponsored by Democratic Senator Lena Gonzalez, requires automakers and dealers to provide consumers with a "clear explanation" of the capabilities and limitations of semi-autonomous driver assistance features. says.
“SB 1398 prohibits manufacturers or dealers from deceptively naming, referring to, or marketing these features,” was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 1, 2023. The bill, which is expected to come into force in the
Tesla claims its cars have "fully self-driving" (FSD) capabilities, but has yet to demonstrate that its vehicles can safely drive fully autonomously without driver assistance. .
The company has also been named in several lawsuits and investigations involving advanced driver assistance systems, as well as an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into advertising Autopilot features.
Tesla also sells FSD features as add-on options for $15,000 or $199 per month, but the company's website notes that these features "require active driver monitoring and allow vehicles to become autonomous." It's not something to do," he said.
“Complete autonomy depends on achieving reliability well beyond that of human drivers, as demonstrated by billions of miles of experience and regulatory approvals. It may take longer in some jurisdictions," the automaker said on its website.
The new law urges manufacturers or distributors to ensure that they know and understand the capabilities of the self-driving technology that consumers are looking to purchase, as well as the capabilities and limitations of those technologies.
“A manufacturer or dealer shall not name or describe partial driving automation features in marketing materials for vehicles, or actually features, as defined in Section 38750. It has features that are not included,” says the new law.
The law applies not only to car sales, but also to all feature updates and vehicle upgrades to prevent "driver confusion".
"A violation of this subdivision shall be considered misleading advertising for purposes of Section 11713," the new law states.
"[The bill]would increase consumer safety by requiring dealers and manufacturers selling new passenger vehicles with semi-autonomous driver assistance features to clearly explain their capabilities and limitations," Gonzalez said in a statement. It's a thing,' he said.
Meanwhile, Tesla shares closed at a record low of $109.10 on Tuesday.