Germany Will Support FSD in EU Vote if Tesla Renames It
Transport Minister Bilger backs 'Tesla Assisted Driving' with a 10% speed limit cap.
Germany’s Federal Ministry for Transport is prepared to support the European rollout of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system, provided the feature is rebranded and subjected to stricter speed controls.
What Happened
According to a post on X from @tpgoebel, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Transport (BMV) wants FSD to be called “Tesla Assisted Driving,” or TAD, as part of its push for EU-wide approval. Federal Transport Minister Bilger reportedly reached an agreement with Tesla in September and now plans to advocate for the system. While Germany has not yet approved FSD for use on its own roads, this move represents the clearest indication yet that Europe’s largest car market is on board with the technology.
Why It Matters
The shift in Germany’s stance could significantly alter the trajectory of the upcoming EU vote, which was delayed from October 6 to December at the earliest. Tesla requires a qualified majority of at least 15 countries to secure bloc-wide approval. Currently, eight countries have approved FSD, including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, with Ireland and Italy also in active discussions. Germany’s support, combined with the existing approvals, makes the December vote look more promising for European owners.
However, the ministry has imposed specific conditions beyond the name change. BMV officials stated that the system shows “particularly high performance in urban traffic” but requires Tesla to restrict FSD so it only exceeds the posted speed limit by a maximum of 10%. This targets the current Speed Offset feature, which allows the system to exceed limits by up to 50% in some conditions. This restriction aims to address concerns raised by Sweden, France, and the European Transport Safety Council regarding overspeeding.
The Bottom Line
To secure EU approval, Tesla will likely have to remove or cap the Speed Offset feature at 10% in its European build. If these terms are met, Germany will support continuing the approval process to bring the tech to drivers “as quickly as possible while maintaining high safety standards.” European owners may ultimately see a “TAD” badge on their screens rather than FSD when the feature arrives, though final acceptance by other skeptical nations like Sweden remains uncertain.
