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Tesla has renamed its Full Self-Driving feature on several European websites. The electric vehicle maker now uses the name Tesla Assisted Driving in countries including Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovakia, after regulators raised concerns that the previous name could mislead customers about the software’s capabilities. The change comes as CEO Elon Musk seeks wider approval for the driver-assistance technology across the European Union.
How is Tesla seeking EU-wide approval for FSD
Germany said Tesla had offered to adopt the new name, while an EU-wide vote on the software’s approval has been pushed from October to at least December. In a request cited in documents Reuters obtained through freedom-of-information requests, the owner said: “Please do not simply say again that ‘we are waiting for the EU’ without explaining what Tesla or Norway must deliver in the meantime.” The European approval process remains ongoing, with individual countries conducting assessments and testing before wider authorisation. motorists must continue to supervise the system and remain legally responsible Although the feature assists with driving. Eight EU countries already allow the system, with Slovakia expected to become the ninth. Tesla has been campaigning to get approval for its Full Self-Driving software across Europe. A Reuters report detailed how the company encouraged vehicle owners and supporters to lobby national regulators to speed up the approval process. In September, a Norwegian Tesla owner asked the Norwegian Public Roads Administration whether the software name changes addressed regulators’ concerns.
When could Tesla get approval for FSD in Europe
The software requires drivers to remain attentive and supervise its operation, with responsibility for driving still resting with the person behind the wheel. In Sweden, consumer protection authorities had asked the Swedish Transport Agency to assess whether Tesla’s marketing could give buyers a false impression about the system’s ability to drive autonomously. In Italy, internal government correspondence said the name “Full Self-Driving”, together with Tesla’s promotional material, “could lead users to believe that the vehicle is equipped with unsupervised automatic driving functions attributable to higher levels of automation, particularly SAE Level 3”. These concerns have increased scrutiny of how Tesla describes its driver-assistance technology as it seeks approval in European markets. Eight EU countries already allow the system, while Slovakia was expected to become the ninth within days, according to the report. Tesla’s European websites now use the name Tesla Assisted Driving instead of Full Self-Driving. The move comes as the company continues to seek regulatory approval for its driver-assistance software across the EU. Several European authorities have questioned whether the Full Self-Driving name accurately describes the system’s capabilities. An EU-wide vote on the technology has been pushed from October to at least December. France is among the countries conducting additional testing. The name change is part of Tesla’s broader effort to address regulatory concerns as it seeks wider approval. However, the rebranding alone does not mean the software has received EU-wide authorisation, and the timeline for broader approval remains uncertain. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
However, the company’s US website still uses the name Full Self-Driving (Supervised). The rebranding follows concerns from European regulators that the original name could give drivers the impression that Tesla vehicles can operate autonomously without human supervision. Germany said Tesla had offered to change the name on Tuesday.