Elon Musk's self-driving technology is under scrutiny following a deadly accident involving a Tesla driver who admitted to distractions. The driver’s trust in Tesla’s Autopilot was questioned after the crash, raising concerns about safety. Simultaneously, regulators in California are considering punitive measures against Tesla, citing Musk's exaggerated claims about the technology. This scrutiny comes at a crucial time as Tesla's car sales have dropped, potentially affecting Musk's ambitious plans to deploy driverless robotaxis across U.S. cities by next year. Financial implications could arise from pending legal decisions related to the Miami case.
"I trusted the technology too much," said George McGee, who ran off the road and killed a woman out stargazing with her boyfriend. "I believed that if the car saw something in front of it, it would provide a warning and apply the brakes."
Musk's tendency to talk big - whether its his cars, his rockets or his government costing-cutting efforts - have landed him in trouble with investors, regulators and courts before, but rarely at such a delicate moment.
A car crash lawyer not involved in the case, but closely following it, said that could cost Tesla tens of millions of dollars, or possibly more.
Meanwhile, sales of his electric cars have plunged and so a hit to his safety reputation could threaten his next big project: rolling out driverless robotaxis - hundreds of thousands of them - in several U.S. cities by the end of next year.
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