Tesla has been told by the German Ministry of Transport that it should not use the term Autopilot, as it is a “misleading term”.
As reported in the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt wrote to Tesla requesting that “in order to avoid misunderstanding and false expectations among customers, the misleading term Autopilot should no longer be used to advertise the system.”
As far as we know, this is the first time the government has asked Tesla to stop using the term Autopilot. However, in recent months there has been pressure on automakers to stop using the terms “self-driving,” “autonomous,” and “autopilot.”.
Bild am Sonntag also reported that the German Ministry of Transport informed Tesla car owners on Friday, reminding them to remain alert when operating a vehicle on Autopilot. “ Autopilot is purely a driver support program and not a highly automated vehicle that can operate without the driver’s constant attention,” the dispatch said.
A Tesla spokesperson said, “Autopilot is a program that works in conjunction with a human driver to make driving safer and less stressful. This is how it has been used for decades in aerospace, and it implies a supportive program under the direct supervision of a human pilot. We have always been clear with our customers that Autopilot requires the driver’s attention at all times, similar to driver assistance systems from other manufacturers.”
Tesla's official response was the following statement: We have great faith in our German customers and are not aware of anyone who has misunderstood this concept, but we are at their disposal if they want to conduct research to assess the use of the term. This seems somewhat ironic since it comes from the German Transport Authority, which has introduced the famous German Autobahn. Do they think the Germans don't understand this either?
