DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
Of all the powerful institutions that are skeptical of/worried about in Tesla's self-driving ambitions — certain US lawmakers, auto industry experts, safety regulators — the one that may finally be able to flex enough muscle is the unglamorous and almost universally dreaded Department of Motor Vehicles, my colleague Matt McFarland reports.
Here's the thing: Tesla is peddling its "full self-driving" technology as a an add-on that, in theory, lets the car's computers navigate local roads with steering, braking and acceleration.
Trouble is, "full self driving" is anything but. The feature does not allow a driver to check out and watch TikTok or take a nap on the way to work — far from it. In fact, it requires drivers to be on alert in case — and these are Tesla's own words — the car does "the wrong thing at the worst time."
(Matt went for a spin around Brooklyn using the feature late last year, and wrote about that chaotic mess here.)
Despite the tech's obvious flaws, auto regulators, like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, have so far proven toothless against Tesla.
So where can we find a hero who'll stand up to the world's most valuable carmaker and its comic-book-villain-impersonating CEO?
Enter the California DMV, its long paper cape billowing in the faint wind from a single oscillating fan under dim, flickering lights.
The department recently filed a complaint with the state, essentially accusing Tesla of false advertising. Namely:
Tesla can't afford to lose California, the state where the company was founded and its biggest US market by a mile.
But for now, it's unclear how Tesla and the DMV's differences might be resolved, and the conflict could include lengthy litigation.
One legal scholar told Matt that a settlement could include changes to how Tesla talks about the systems on its website, a promise to avoid similar behavior in the future, or even new names for its products.
BOTTOM LINE
The Cali DMV isn't your typical crusty government bureaucracy. Or rather, it isn't only that. The department has a history of regulating autonomous vehicles, largely because so many of the companies developing autonomous vehicles are based in California.
Although its actions are officially limited to the state, the country has a history of following California's lead on auto regulations because, well, it's just that huge. When California sets a standard for, say carbon emissions, it essentially forces the whole car industry to meet those standards for their entire fleet because it wouldn't be cost-efficient to tailor its products for one state.
Tesla's been a tough nut for federal regulators to crack, in part because it's in uncharted territory with EVs and semi-autonomous navigation. Perhaps the state of California, the progressive startup dreamland that Elon Musk recently snubbed by moving Tesla's headquarters from Palo Alto to Austin, Texas, will be the one to break through.
Here's the thing: Tesla is peddling its "full self-driving" technology as a an add-on that, in theory, lets the car's computers navigate local roads with steering, braking and acceleration.
Trouble is, "full self driving" is anything but. The feature does not allow a driver to check out and watch TikTok or take a nap on the way to work — far from it. In fact, it requires drivers to be on alert in case — and these are Tesla's own words — the car does "the wrong thing at the worst time."
(Matt went for a spin around Brooklyn using the feature late last year, and wrote about that chaotic mess here.)
Despite the tech's obvious flaws, auto regulators, like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, have so far proven toothless against Tesla.
So where can we find a hero who'll stand up to the world's most valuable carmaker and its comic-book-villain-impersonating CEO?
Enter the California DMV, its long paper cape billowing in the faint wind from a single oscillating fan under dim, flickering lights.
The department recently filed a complaint with the state, essentially accusing Tesla of false advertising. Namely:
- It says the names "full self-driving" and "Autopilot" suggest the vehicles are autonomous, when they aren't.
- Such deceptive labels could be grounds for suspending or revoking Tesla's license to sell vehicles in the state.
Tesla can't afford to lose California, the state where the company was founded and its biggest US market by a mile.
But for now, it's unclear how Tesla and the DMV's differences might be resolved, and the conflict could include lengthy litigation.
One legal scholar told Matt that a settlement could include changes to how Tesla talks about the systems on its website, a promise to avoid similar behavior in the future, or even new names for its products.
BOTTOM LINE
The Cali DMV isn't your typical crusty government bureaucracy. Or rather, it isn't only that. The department has a history of regulating autonomous vehicles, largely because so many of the companies developing autonomous vehicles are based in California.
Although its actions are officially limited to the state, the country has a history of following California's lead on auto regulations because, well, it's just that huge. When California sets a standard for, say carbon emissions, it essentially forces the whole car industry to meet those standards for their entire fleet because it wouldn't be cost-efficient to tailor its products for one state.
Tesla's been a tough nut for federal regulators to crack, in part because it's in uncharted territory with EVs and semi-autonomous navigation. Perhaps the state of California, the progressive startup dreamland that Elon Musk recently snubbed by moving Tesla's headquarters from Palo Alto to Austin, Texas, will be the one to break through.
