A North Bay, Ont. teenager failed her road test because the vehicle she took the test in, a Tesla Model Y Long Range, was apparently “too high tech.” I wish I were kidding.
According to Eric Simard, the teen’s father, she planned on using the Model Y due to their truck being unavailable at the time. After completing the test and receiving a 100 per cent score, the examiner failed her, claiming that the vehicle she used was “too high tech,” citing the regenerative braking system and the green light chime.
In an interview with Drive Tesla, Simard said that the examiner further argued that she “wasn’t using the brake pedal,” despite showing full control of the vehicle and committing no errors during the test.
Now, the family is questioning whether DriveTest instructors are properly prepared for the realities of modern electric vehicles. According to Drive Tesla, DriveTest does not list any EVs, including Teslas, as prohibited vehicles.
This isn’t the first time a Tesla vehicle has been the cause of a failed road test. In 2021, a California teenager failed a road test due to the examiner feeling like the car was “stopping on it’s own,” blaming the regenerative braking. The California DMV stepped in following media attention, changing his test result to a pass.
Last year, an Arizona teen failed their driving test due to the instructor’s belief that the full self-driving (FSD) system was used during the test, despite the vehicle not having the specific software installed.
Source: Drive Tesla Canada
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