Just days after we reported on a massive NHTSA Investigation into Tesla's Autopilot feature for more than 700,000 Tesla vehicles, the pressure is ratcheting up another step.
Two U.S. Senators asked the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday to examine whether or not Tesla misled consumers and endangered the public by marketing its driving systems as "Full Self Driving", according to Automotive News.
Senate Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Edward Markey wrote: "Tesla and (CEO) Mr. (Elon) Musk’s repeated overstatements of their vehicle’s capabilities...put Tesla drivers -- and all of the traveling public -- at risk of serious injury or death."
Their letter continued: "Tesla drivers listen to these claims and believe their vehicles are equipped to drive themselves – with potentially deadly consequences."
Recall, earlier this week, we reported that regulators in the United States had finally come to their senses and opened a long-overdue investigation into Tesla's Autopilot. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the investigation includes Tesla's Model X, S and 3 for model years 2014-2021. The broad range of models and model years means that this could be the large-scale investigation that skeptics have been requesting for years, we noted.
The NHTSA said the investigation would assess technologies, methods "used to monitor, assist, and enforce the driver's engagement" during autopilot operation, according to Bloomberg.
GLJ Research's Gordon Johnson was the first analyst to weigh in this week, stating that the investigation could result in sentiment turning "decidedly downward" if sell-side peers begin to understand that Tesla's proclaimed autonomy prospects are nowhere near what many think.
Johnson's note opened by describing the situation and noting...