U.S. SEC probes Elon Musk’s role in Tesla self-driving claims – Bloomberg News

(Reuters) -The U.S. securities regulator is investigating Elon Musk’s role in shaping EV maker Tesla’s self-driving claims, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing a person with knowledge of the matter.

The review is part of an ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probe of the company’s statements about its Autopilot driver-assistance system, the report added.

SEC officials are considering whether Musk may have inappropriately made forward-looking statements, the report said, without specifying which specific statements or activities by Musk attracted the regulator’s attention.

Tesla Chief Executive Musk did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while the SEC declined to comment.

Separately, the acting head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Jan. 9 said the regulatory agency is “working really fast” on the Tesla Autopilot investigation it opened in August 2021.

Musk is also under trial for allegedly misleading investors with his 2018 tweet saying “funding secured” for taking Tesla private.

(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)