Tesla’s assertions that its electric vehicles can drive themselves prompted a criminal investigation by the US Justice Department.
According to a statement released by the manufacturer on Monday, the US Justice Department has subpoenaed Tesla and requested information as part of its investigation into the automaker’s driver assistance system Autopilot and vehicle driving range, among other matters.
In a regulatory statement, Tesla claimed it had received information demands from the DOJ, “including subpoenas.” Some of these requests are “related to personal benefits, related parties, vehicle range, and personnel decisions,” and others are for documentation on Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD functions.
Citing persons familiar with the situation, Reuters stated in October 2022 that Tesla was the subject of a criminal investigation by the Justice Department due to assertions made by the business that its electric cars are self-driving.
In August, The Wall Street Journal revealed that federal prosecutors were also investigating Tesla’s vehicle performance claims and the company’s use of finances for a covert project that was internally referred to as Elon Musk’s mansion.
In July, Reuters revealed that the range estimations and projections provided by the car’s equipment are frequently not met by Tesla vehicles.
After identifying over a dozen crashes in which Tesla vehicles collided with stationary emergency vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been looking into the effectiveness of Autopilot for more than two years. The agency is also looking into whether Autopilot sufficiently ensures that drivers are paying attention when using the driver assistance system.
As it speeds up production at its plants and gets ready to release new models, Tesla also said that its capital spending for 2023 would exceed the $7 billion to $9 billion target it had set earlier this year.
In the next two years, the company’s spending is anticipated to revert to the $7 billion to $9 billion range, according to a regulatory filing.
In addition to a margin-sapping price war this year to keep sales, Musk warned last week that Tesla was hesitating on its plans for a factory in Mexico due to the company’s uncertain economic outlook. Rising interest rates could also have an impact on demand at Tesla.