Tesla scrutinised by German court over Autopilot claims

A German court has called out Tesla after fears that the automaker may be misleading consumers when it comes to its driver-assistance system Autopilot. It is scheduled to rule next week on whether or not this is the case, with the potential of a course case following its announcement.

The maker of the Model 3 sedan says on its German website that Tesla vehicles have full potential for autonomous driving. The company has also promoted its cars as having the full ability to perform automatic city driving by the end of 2019.

They are promising more than its Autopilot system can deliver, according to the Centre for Protection Against Unfair Competition, a German non-profit group financed by companies and industry groups that have previously sued the American manufacturer.

A Munich court indicated during a hearing last month that it may side with the group.

Andreas Ottofuelling, a lawyer, representing the group, said: “A legal framework for autonomous inner-city driving doesn’t even exist yet in Germany. And other functions aren’t working as advertised.”

Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has often overstated the capabilities of his cars, even going so far as to start charging customers thousands of dollars for a “Full Self-Driving” feature in 2016. Years later, the company still requires users of its Autopilot system to be fully attentive to take over driving at any point.

If the Munich court rules in favour of the group over Tesla, they may have to remove all of the offending claims from their website and make them more in line with the reality of the car’s abilities.

This would further add to the resistance Musk has faced in Europe, where regulation has limited how Autopilot features can be used.

He admitted in August that Tesla was working with regulators in Europe to change the rules and said the following month that customers were unhappy with the policies.

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