German Regulators Ask Tesla To Stop Advertising 'Autopilot' Term

Government regulators have asked the automaker Tesla to stop using the term "autopilot" for its driver-assist feature. Deutsche Welle (DW) reported that a letter:

"... published in the newspaper "Bild am Sonntag," called on Tesla to take urgent action "in order to prevent misunderstandings and false expectations from clients." The KBA transport regulator said the term "autopilot" was misleading, and called for it to be removed in future advertisements for Tesla products. The self-driving feature has been available on the California-based automaker's Model S since October 2015."

The Autopilot feature manages the car's speed, steers within a lane, changes lanes (when the driver taps a turn signal), scan for a parking space, and parallel parks on command. Officials in Germany are still conducting an investigation into the car's capabilities.

After the fatal crash in May of a Tesla Model S car operating beta-version software for its Autopilot feature, Tesla engineers said in August the problem was with the car's brakes and not its Autopilot feature.

DW also reported:

"... the German transport regulator wrote to Tesla owners warning them that the autopilot function was purely to assist the driver and did not turn the car into a highly-automated vehicle. The feature still required the driver's unrestricted attention at all times, the letter said. Under German road traffic regulations, the driver is required to remain alert and in control of the vehicle at all times when using the system, the letter added."

The Los Angeles Times reported:

"Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has repeatedly said he’s sticking with the name, and the company responded to the German report as it does every time the subject comes up: The term “autopilot” has a long history in aerospace, where human pilots and autopilot systems work together to fly a plane."