Tesla renames Full Self-Driving to Tesla Assisted Driving in Europe

Name change after German pushback

Tesla has renamed its advanced driver assistance system in Europe from Full Self-Driving (Supervised) to Tesla Assisted Driving after pushback from Germany's transportation ministry. The company had used the older name for years even though the system requires a human to watch the road and take over when necessary.

Germany's transport minister Steffen Bilger said calling the software Full Self-Driving was somewhat misleading because it does not perform the entire task of driving. After speaking with Tesla, he said the company suggested the new name, and he will advocate for approval of Tesla Assisted Driving across Europe ahead of an EU-wide vote that could happen later this year. Tesla CEO Elon Musk thanked Bilger on X this week.

Approval effort faces scrutiny

The Netherlands became the first European country to approve Full Self-Driving (Supervised) after Musk pressed for broader acceptance and criticized EU regulation. He has argued that approval would protect people in the car as well as pedestrians, cyclists and pets, and he has urged supporters to tell their governments they want approval.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that Tesla's campaign for European approval was built on faulty company safety research and flawed studies. The outlet also reported that Dutch vehicle regulator RDW faced fierce pressure from Tesla and its online supporters.

More capable, still disputed

Tesla's software has gained functions beyond lane centering and adaptive cruise control. Some owners use it for nearly all daily driving, and it can move in and out of parking spots and navigate surface streets and highways. Tesla recently made it possible for FSD to intervene in a human driver's control if it senses an oncoming collision, even if FSD is not active.

FSD has been the subject of federal investigations and civil lawsuits over crashes in which it was allegedly in use. Its less capable predecessor, Autopilot, was associated with dozens of fatalities and was discontinued earlier this year after a judge ruled Tesla engaged in deceptive marketing about its capabilities.

Sources: Techcrunch · Engadget · Techmeme