BY George Upper, The Western JournalFebruary 14, 2023
1 year ago
BY 
 | February 14, 2023
1 year ago

California Billionaire Uses Super Bowl to Attack Tesla for 'Endangering the Public' - Tesla Says His Claims Are 'Defamatory'

It's the Super Bowl commercial you may not have seen, one that attacks Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" mode as a menace to the American public.

The commercial, funded by California billionaire Dan O'Dowds The Dawn Project, ran in only a few markets during Sunday's Super Bowl, so if you missed it, that could be why.

But critics are already questioning the accuracy of the claims made in the spot.

"Tesla Full Self-Driving will run down a child in a school crosswalk, swerve into oncoming traffic, hit a baby in a stroller, go straight past stopped school buses, ignore do-not-enter signs and even drive on the wrong side of the road," the ad claims while showing video of Teslas doing just those things (using mannequins and empty strollers, of course)

"Tesla's Full Self-Driving is endangering the public with deceptive marketing and woefully inept engineering," it continues. "Ninety percent agree that this should be banned immediately.

"Why does NHTSA allow Tesla Full Self-Driving?" it finally asks, referring to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"The Dawn Project’s ad will be broadcast during the game to millions of viewers, politicians and regulators in Washington D.C, and state capitals including California, New York, Texas, Florida and Georgia," according to a Feb. 11 post on the organization's website.

[firefly_poll]

According to The Washington Post, O'Dowd has "already poured millions of his own money" into efforts to get Tesla's self-driving technology banned from American roads -- an effort that appears to have generated no results other than a cease-and-desist letter from Tesla last year.

Almost immediately following the release of this new ad, however, it drew criticism from Tesla supporters who said the "testing" shown in the video was fraudulent.

Comments on the video posted to The Dawn Project's YouTube channel -- where it has been viewed nearly 670,000 times despite the fact that The Dawn Project has a mere 483 subscribers to its channel -- were turned off, but critics found opportunity on Twitter and elsewhere to respond anyway.

For his part, O'Dowd responded to the above tweet but doesn't appear to have noticed that it was critical of his efforts and methods.

O'Dowd says regulators are not acting with sufficient "urgency," despite the fact that the federal government has opened "multiple investigations" into the self-driving vehicles.

"Tesla Autopilot, the driver-assistance suite that encompasses Full Self-Driving Beta, is facing multiple investigations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration," The Post reported. "The investigations relate to more than a dozen crashes with parked emergency vehicles while Autopilot was activated, and Tesla vehicles’ tendency to suddenly brake for imaginary hazards, a phenomenon known as 'phantom braking.'"

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Written by: George Upper, The Western Journal

NATIONAL NEWS

SEE ALL

Tennessee Lawmaker Seeks Impeachment Of Vice President Harris

According to The Hill, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has officially filed impeachment articles against Vice President Kamala Harris. These charges accuse Harris of incompetently managing…
11 hours ago
 • By Benjamin Clark

Shooting At Trump Rally Leaves One Dead, Two Injured

In a shocking incident, a gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, leaving former President Donald Trump wounded and two others severely injured.…
11 hours ago
 • By Benjamin Clark

Clint Eastwood's Longtime Partner Christina Sandera Dies At 61

Christina Sandera, the longtime partner of Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood, passed away at the age of 61 due to natural causes related to heart disease…
12 hours ago
 • By Benjamin Clark

Ella Emhoff: Rising Figure in Fashion and Activism Amidst Political Turmoil

Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris's stepdaughter, has stirred considerable public interest with her candid endorsements and personal expressions intertwined with major US political dynamics. According to…
12 hours ago
 • By Benjamin Clark

New York Confronts Missouri’s Supreme Court Plea In Trump’s Hush Money Case

CNN reported that New York Attorney General Letitia James strongly opposed Missouri's petition to the Supreme Court concerning President Donald Trump's hush money case. Missouri…
12 hours ago
 • By Benjamin Clark

DON'T WAIT.

We publish the objective news, period. If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news:

    LATEST NEWS

    Newsletter

    Get news from American Digest in your inbox.

      By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: American Digest, 3000 S. Hulen Street, Ste 124 #1064, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, US, http://americandigest.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact.
      Christian News Alerts is a conservative Christian publication. Share our articles to help spread the word.
      © 2024 - CHRISTIAN NEWS ALERTS - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
      magnifier