FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany has banned Tesla from repeating what a court says are misleading advertising statements related to the capabilities of the company’s driver assistance systems and autonomous driving, a Munich judge ruled Tuesday.
FILE PHOTO: Tesla Super Chargers Show in Mojave, California, USA, July 10, 2019. REUTERS / Mike Blake / File Photo
Tesla can appeal the ruling.
The case was brought by Germany’s Wettbewerbszentrale, an industry-sponsored body charged with monitoring anti-competitive practices.
The Munich court agreed with the assessment of the industry body and prohibited Tesla Germany from including “full potential for autonomous driving” and “Autopilot included” in its German advertising materials.
He said such claims amounted to deceptive business practices, adding that the average buyer might get the impression that the car could drive without human intervention and could suggest that such a system was now legal on German roads.
Tesla’s autopilot system has come under fire from regulators, including the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States, saying it lacks guarantees.
Concerns have arisen over assistance systems that can perform driving tasks over long stretches with little or no human intervention, tempting drivers to neglect their obligation to be in control of their vehicles at all times.
Tesla has said it has informed customers that its automated driver assistance technology did not amount to a fully autonomous driving system.
A Tesla Germany spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment on Tuesday’s ruling.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said this month that the electric car maker was close to making its cars capable of driving automatically without the need for driver involvement, known as Tier autonomy. 5.
Report by Alexander Huebner; Written by Edward Taylor; Editing by Tom Sims and Edmund Blair
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