Tesla Is Under Reported Criminal Investigation As Elon Musk Enters Twitter Headquarters

Tesla Inc TSLA is the subject of a criminal investigation in the U.S. over claims that its electric vehicles can drive themselves, according to a Reuters report citing three people with information about the situation.

What Happened: Following more than a dozen mishaps involving Tesla's driving assistance system Autopilot, which was enabled during the collisions, the U.S. Department of Justice opened the previously unreported investigation last year, Reuters said, again quoting the sources.

Autopilot Vs. Human Drivers: Tesla CEO Elon Musk has frequently stated that Tesla's automated driving software is not only safe, but also safer than anything of which a human driver is capable.

“There has not been one accident or injury since FSD beta launch,” Ross Gerber tweeted in January. “Not one. Not a single one.”
Musk responded to this by saying: "Correct."
Read more: The 'Technoking Of Tesla' Is Now The 'Chief Twit' Of Twitter

On a conference call in 2016, Musk said Tesla’s self-driving capabilities are “probably better” than a human driver.

Reuters said its sources suggest that Justice Department prosecutors are looking into whether Tesla misled buyers, investors and regulators by making unsubstantiated claims about the capabilities of its driver assistance technology.

Tesla will soon launch an updated version of its "Full Self-Driving" software that will enable users to essentially travel while not touching the steering wheel at all, according to Musk.

The sources told Reuters the DOJ may have a hard time building the case against Tesla, as the company regularly warns on its website — and in the vehicle — that the driver must keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times, even while in self-driving mode, to maintain control of the vehicle.

Investigators may decide to file formal charges, request civil penalties or end the investigation without taking any further action, the report said. 

Photo courtesy of Tesla.