California regulator accuses Tesla of misleading consumers

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reports that Tesla has advertised its self-driving and self-driving technologies as more efficient than they actually are, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The file, submitted on July 28 to the Office of Administrative Hearings, reads that the company “has made or released false or misleading statements that are not based on facts.”

The Los Angeles Times writes that Tesla cars can never “and cannot function as autonomous vehicles,” as the DMV claims. The regulator did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

Tesla’s website describes the autopilot as having “full self-driving capability.” “All the driver has to do is get in their car and tell them where to go,” the company says, promising that “if you don’t say anything, the car will review your schedule and take you to a supposed destination.”

A ruling in favor of the California regulator could have serious consequences for the electric car maker, including a possible revocation of licenses that allow Tesla to manufacture or sell its cars in the state, according to The Times.

However, a DMV spokesperson told the newspaper that what the agency really wants is for Tesla to better inform consumers about its autonomous vehicles and to acknowledge the limitations of its technology.

Tesla cars equipped with self-driving software have had 273 accidents in the United States, according to a June report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is investigating the company.

In June, Tesla owner Elon Musk highlighted the importance of fully autonomous driving, saying that without it, his company’s value would be “close to zero.”