Germany’s transport minister is pushing for quick EU approval of Tesla’s driver-assist software, which Tesla calls Full Self-Driving, and Elon Musk has thanked him for it. Reuters reported that Steffen Bilger backs the system after talks with Tesla in September on technical and liability questions. Musk wrote on X: “Danke schoen.”
What Germany agreed to
Germany agreed with Tesla that the system may slightly exceed the speed limit, by up to 10%, and will back that position in the EU process, according to Reuters and the German transport ministry’s own statement, dated October 6. The ministry also says the Full Self-Driving name is somewhat misleading, and that Tesla offered “Tesla Assisted Driving” instead.
A new name in Europe
Bloomberg reports that Tesla now uses “Tesla Assisted Driving” on its European websites, while its U.S. site still says Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Bloomberg adds that Dutch regulators approved a more restrictive version in April.
What is still open
Reuters says the EU vote expected in October has slipped to December at the earliest, and that Sweden and France have raised concerns about speed. It also reported that seven traffic-safety researchers told it Tesla’s European safety research cannot support its safety claims, because it relies on proxies such as hard braking and horn-honking.
Why it matters
For drivers in Europe, the practical questions are what the software may do and under what name. Germany says the system may go up to 10% over the speed limit, and an EU approval would apply in all member states, not just in Germany.
Our take: a new name changes the label, not the car. Germany’s support comes with a deal that lets the system go up to 10% over the speed limit. The EU has not voted, and the researchers Reuters spoke to doubt Tesla’s safety data. The thing to watch is that December vote, and whether other countries follow the Dutch approval.
