Tesla Removes “Self-Driving” Language From its China Website

Following the first known Autopilot accident in China, Tesla has removed the term “self-driving” from its Chinese website for the Model S. The move comes after the driver involved in the crash blamed Tesla for implying the car was self-driving, rather than semi-autonomous.

In Beijing earlier this month, a Tesla Model S driving in Autopilot mode hit a parked vehicle. “The driver of the Tesla, whose hands were not detected on the steering wheel, did not steer to avoid the parked car and instead scraped against its side,” a Tesla spokeswoman told Reuters at the time. The driver admitted to being distracted by electronics during the crash.

By late Sunday, Tesla’s China website no longer included the term “zidong jiashi,” which translates most literally to “self-driving,” although it also can mean autopilot. Tesla replaced the term with a phrase that means “self-assisted driving.”

“We’ve been in the process of addressing any discrepancies across languages for many weeks,” a Tesla spokeswoman told Reuters on Sunday. “Timing had nothing to do with current events or articles.”

Tesla is also reportedly making other changes to make sure drivers realize the Model S isn’t fully autonomous. Multiple Tesla drivers, including the Model S driver involved in the crash, say that the sales team plays up the capabilities of Tesla cars. Some customers in China have claimed that sales members take their hands off the wheel when demonstrating the Autopilot function. According to a new report from Reuters, Tesla is re-training its staff in response to the recent crash, making sure employees always keep two hands on the wheel when showing off Autopilot to customers.

Tesla has come under increased scrutiny for its Autopilot driver-assist feature after a fatal crash occurred this past May. Consumer Reports recently called on Tesla to dial back some of its Autopilot technologies. It also says Tesla should stop referring to the system as Autopilot, as it could mislead customers about the true capabilities of the cars.

Source: Reuters

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