Tesla Autopilot name defies common sense, Buttigieg says

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has added his voice to the chorus of doubters reflecting on Tesla’s concept of its “Autopilot” system, saying the descriptive name doesn’t make “common sense.”

In an interview with Bloomberg News in Washington, Buttigieg says, “I wouldn’t call something ‘Autopilot’ if the manual explicitly says that you have to have your hands on the wheel and the eyes on the road all the time,” Buttigieg said. “That’s not saying anything about the NHTSA scope of investigation, I’m just saying at a common sense level. I think that’s a concern.”