With 2023 right around the corner, states across the country will see new laws and regulations enacted. In California, a new law will go into effect that prohibits Tesla from advertising their vehicles as “fully self-driving.” It’s a sweeping piece of legislation that affects any automaker looking to venture into the semi-automatic driving technology space. This also applies to dealers and goes into effect on January 1.
California governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the law in September. It dictates that automakers must clearly explain the functions and limitations of any partial drive automation technology in vehicles or added later through software updates. Tesla states on its website that its cars’ “Full Self-Driving” feature requires “active driver supervision and does not create autonomous vehicles.” The gist of the bill that could affect Tesla is:
“(b) The manufacturer or dealer shall not mention any partially automated driving features, or describe any partially automated driving features in marketing materials, use language that implies, or would lead a reasonable person to believe, that such features enable the vehicle to function as an autonomous vehicle. , as defined in Section 38750, or have functionality that is not actually included in the feature. Violation of this subdivision will be deemed as misleading advertising for the purposes of Section 11713.”
California Senate Bill No. 1398
Meanwhile California has laws governing truly autonomous vehicles – vehicles without physical controls or human monitors. However, these laws do not apply to a range of collision avoidance technologies such as lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot assist and others. This technology improves the driving experience and makes it safer, but does not make the car fully self-driving.
Deceptive marketing claims have plagued Tesla for several years. Adding to the confusion are the various names automakers use for similar technologies and functions that aren’t always easy to decipher. Cars are more complex than ever, with a plethora of new features that buyers must explain before they leave with the rest of us. Knowing the limitations of the technology is essential to operate it safely.
