Tesla avoids California sales ban by removing ‘autopilot’ from marketing
State regulators walk back suspension threat and say Tesla has stopped misleading drivers about the safety of its cars
TL;DR
- Tesla will retain its dealer and manufacturer licenses in California.
- The company stopped using the term "autopilot" in its marketing in the state.
- State regulators determined Tesla no longer misleads drivers about vehicle safety.
- A threatened 30-day license suspension has been averted.
- Previous rulings found Tesla's use of "autopilot" and "full self-driving" to be deceptive.
- Tesla now uses the term "supervised" for its full self-driving technology.
- "Autopilot" enables lane keeping, acceleration, and braking on highways.
- "Full self-driving" allows lane changes and traffic signal response on city streets.
- The California DMV gave Tesla a 90-day window to make changes, which it deemed sufficient.