Tesla was banned from advertising misleading Autopilot ads in Germany earlier this month. The country does not allow fully autonomous driving for safety reasons, growing concerned with Tesla’s self-driving claims. As reported by Business Insider, the Munich court found that claims of “full potential for autonomous driving” (on highways as well) were deceptive. The court explained this further:
“The use of the word “autopilot”, along with other marketing material, suggested the vehicle could drive on its own.”
This ruling has only led to more safety concerns. According to The Korea Times, South Korea is also looking to stop Tesla’s misleading Autopilot advertisements.
Despite Elon Musk’s ambitious plans for self-driving, no complete hands-free driving feature has been released. South Korea’s Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty (CUSC) explained that “Tesla’s exaggerated ads mislead consumers to think that its vehicles are fully autonomous.”
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is currently reviewing these claims. If the situation is serious enough, the FTC will then launch an official investigation. Tesla’s advertisements could ultimately be withdrawn from Korea should their appeal be overturned.
