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4w ago

Tesla Avoids California Suspension After Dropping 'Autopilot' Branding

The move follows a DMV ruling that Tesla’s driver-assist marketing overstated autonomy, preserving access to its largest U.S. market.

FILE - A Tesla Model S is pictured at the Paris Auto Show, in Paris, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)
Tesla cars, as seen at a charging station in Orange County, will stop using the term “autopilot” to describe their cars in California.
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Overview

  • California’s DMV said Tesla stopped using the term Autopilot in state marketing, so a 30-day suspension of its dealer and manufacturer licenses will not take effect.
  • An administrative law judge earlier found the Autopilot label violated state law and proposed a 30-day freeze, which the DMV stayed while giving Tesla time to comply.
  • Regulators cited marketing dating to May 2021 and asserted the features could not then, and cannot now, operate vehicles autonomously.
  • In January Tesla discontinued the Autopilot product in the U.S. and Canada, and on February 14 shifted Full Self-Driving to “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” offered via a $99 monthly subscription.
  • The decision averts a sales and production disruption in California, while federal probes and lawsuits over Tesla’s self-driving claims remain unresolved.