PALO ALTO, Calif. – Tesla is disputing claims that its vehicles can suddenly accelerate on their own.
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The company said Monday that it checks out all such complaints by drivers, and it says the cars drive as they’re designed to.
Tesla adds that the California man who filed a petition with federal safety officials is a short-seller who tries to profit when Tesla’s stock price goes down.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hasn’t decided whether to open a formal investigation.
The allegations cover about 500,000 Tesla Model 3, Model S and Model X vehicles from 2013 through 2019.
The Associated Press reports that the company called the petition “completely false,” adding that “the car accelerates if, and only if, the driver told it to do so, and it slows or stops when the driver applies the brake.”
