California passed a new law prohibiting Tesla from calling its software Full Self-Driving (FSD). Although Tesla has never claimed FSD is fully autonomous, the electric manufacturer is developing the technology for fully autonomous vehicles. Until vehicles are fully autonomous, drivers must be alert and ready to take over at any time they engage FSD or Autopilot.
However, the California legislature disagrees with FSD’s labels. Senate Bill 1398 was one of hundreds signed into law by Governor Newsom. The new law comes into effect in 2023 and specifically targets Tesla’s name for its software. The bill was sponsored by Senate Transportation Committee Chair Lena Gonzalez, who claimed Tesla had falsely advertised its technology and that it was a safety issue.
The bill was sponsored after the California Department of Motor Vehicles claimed Tesla’s FSD was “false advertising.”
An excerpt from the new law reads as follows:
“A dealer or manufacturer shall not sell a new passenger vehicle equipped with a partial driving automation function, or provide a software update or other vehicle upgrade that adds a partial driving automation function, without providing a clear indication at the time of vehicle delivery or upgrade Notice to the purchaser or owner that includes the name of the feature and clearly describes the features and limitations of the feature.”
“A manufacturer or dealer shall not name a partial driving automation function or describe a partial driving automation function in marketing materials using language that would imply or otherwise mislead a reasonable person to believe that the function enables the vehicle to function autonomously vehicle, as defined in Section 38750, or otherwise has functionality that is not actually contained in the functionality. A breach of this subdivision is considered misleading advertising within the meaning of Section 11713.”
Tesla says on its Full Self-Driving Capability website that all new vehicles will have the hardware needed for FSD going forward.
“The system is designed to be able to carry out short and long-distance journeys without the person in the driver’s seat having to do anything.”
“The future use of these features without supervision is subject to achieving reliability far exceeding that of human drivers, as demonstrated by billions of miles of experience, and regulatory approval, which may take longer in some jurisdictions.”
“As these self-driving features roll out, your car will be continuously updated through over-the-air software updates.”
FSD Beta saved me from a head on collision today. The driver of the vehicle fell asleep. @elonmusk @WholeMarsBlog @teslaownersSV @WhamBaamYT pic.twitter.com/PS4rO2tZnO
— Press CO (@CO_MDL3) September 29, 2022
In November, a Tesla owner who was involved in an accident on Thanksgiving Day claimed that the FSD wasn’t working, but police are still investigating the driver’s claims. In August, Tesla’s Autopilot software director, Ashok Elluswamy, shared data showing how Tesla’s Autopilot software prevents about 40 crashes a day that would have been caused by sudden unintended acceleration. Multiple owner accounts credit Autopilot and FSD for saving their lives.
Disclosure: Johnna is a $TSLA shareholder and believes in Tesla’s mission.
Your feedback is welcome. If you have any comments, concerns, or see a typo, you can email me at [email protected]. You can also reach me on Twitter at @JohnnaCrider1.
Teslarati is now on TikTok. Follow us for interactive news and more. Teslarati is now on TikTok. Follow us for interactive news and more. You can also follow Teslarati on LinkedIn, TwitterInstagram and Facebook.
California passes law prohibiting Tesla from calling software FSD
