Tesla motorists granted permission for collective lawsuit concerning self-driving assertions, as decided by the judge.
In a significant development, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin has justified group lawsuits by two sets of drivers who bought Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology package. The case, known as In re Tesla Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Litigation, is being heard in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (case number 22-05240).
At the heart of the matter is a claim that Tesla lacked the necessary sensors to achieve high-level autonomy and could not demonstrate a long-distance autonomous drive with any of its vehicles. This assertion stems from a judge's decision that Tesla's vehicles did not possess the hardware capable of full self-driving capabilities, as the company had claimed.
Thousands of people likely saw Tesla's claim that its vehicles contained hardware for full self-driving on its website from October 2016 to August 2024. The distinctive advertising strategy of Tesla, which warrants a departure from the typical approach due to its lack of mass advertising and independent dealers, is believed to have played a role in attracting potential buyers. It was reasonable to infer that class members interested in Full Self-Driving technology went to Tesla's website to get information.
The California classes include drivers who bought the Full Self-Driving package from May 19, 2017, to July 31, 2024, and opted out of Tesla's arbitration agreement. Another class includes drivers who bought the Full Self-Driving technology package from October 20, 2016, to May 19, 2017.
Tesla is facing a certified class action by California drivers over claims of misleading statements about self-driving capabilities of their electric vehicles. The software is a key component of Tesla's robotaxis, and federal officials have examined whether Tesla's full self-driving software is safe.
However, Tesla argued that it was unreasonable to assume all class members saw the challenged statements. The name of the plaintiff in the lawsuit against Tesla regarding incomplete self-driving features is Michael Greene. As of now, no comment has been received from lawyers for Tesla regarding the case.
In a related development, Tesla has a job posting hinting at NYC ride-hailing with new Autopilot positions. This suggests that Tesla continues to push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology, despite the ongoing legal challenges.
The case is a reminder for companies to be transparent about the capabilities of their products, particularly in the rapidly evolving field of autonomous driving technology. As the litigation unfolds, it will be interesting to see how Tesla responds and how this could impact the future of autonomous driving technology.
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