(Reuters) – Federal prosecutors are investigating whether Tesla committed securities or wire fraud by misleading investors and consumers about the self-driving capabilities of its electric vehicles, three people familiar with the matter said. Told Reuters.
Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems assist with steering, braking and lane changes – but are not fully autonomous. While Tesla has warned drivers to be prepared to take responsibility behind the wheel, the Justice Department is investigating other statements by Tesla and CEO Elon Musk that suggested its cars could drive themselves.
U.S. regulators have separately investigated hundreds of crashes, including fatal crashes, that have occurred in Teslas with Autopilot off, resulting in mass recalls for the automaker.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is also investigating Tesla’s representations to investors about driver-assistance systems, one of the sources said. The SEC declined to comment.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Last October, it revealed in a filing that the Justice Department had asked the company for information about Autopilot and full self-driving.
The Justice Department declined to comment.
Investigations that do not prove wrongdoing may result in criminal charges, civil sanctions, or no action at all. Prosecutors are far from deciding how to proceed, one of the sources said, partly because they are examining the voluminous documents provided by Tesla in response to the subpoena.
