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Tesla has removed the term “Autopilot” from its marketing campaign in order to comply with Californian regulators. The electric vehicle and robotics group found itself in hot water last December after the California Department of Motor Vehicles deemed its Autopilot feature misleading to potential consumers.
Tesla’s Autopilot platform includes features such as Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer, systems designed to assist drivers with tasks like braking, steering, and accelerating, but they do not equip the car with fully autonomous capabilities, as the name may suggest.
Tesla has also changed its messaging around its Fully Self-Driving (FSD) technology after the brand was accused of further disingenuous marketing. The service requires drivers to remain “fully alert” and in the driver’s seat at all times and therefore does not warrant the label “Fully Self-Driving.”
This marketing pivot follows a ruling made in December 2025, in which an administrative judge described the branding as exaggerated, threatening to revoke Tesla’s sales licence for 30 days if the company failed to comply.
It comes as no surprise that Tesla did not want to sustain prolonged disruption in California, a state that has historically accounted for a large proportion of its national sales and remains the US leader in EV adoption.
The disruption has come at a pivotal time for Tesla, which is strategically shifting from a pure EV focus to a physical AI and robotics brand, scrapping two models from its EV line-up and betting on humanoid robots to accelerate the next stage of the company’s expansion.
Tesla has faced a slew of lawsuits from federal prosecutors, private investors, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in recent years, most of which have levelled criticism at Tesla’s misleading branding and exaggerated terminology.
By conceding to regulators on this occasion, Tesla will be able to continue selling in America’s most lucrative EV market without disruption.
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