Tesla Pushes for EU Approval of Full Self-Driving with German Backing Amid Safety Concerns

On October 7, Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted “Danke schön” on X after German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger announced his advocacy for prompt EU approval of Tesla’s driver-assistance system. Germany agreed that the system may exceed the posted speed limit by up to 10 %, a tolerance the minister said it would support throughout the European approval process. Tesla has also offered to rename the technology “Tesla Assisted Driving” to address naming concerns.

Reuters

Germany joins a small group of European nations—including the Netherlands and Belgium—that have voiced support for the technology. The Dutch regulator approved a Europe-specific version earlier this year, stripping out the “Mad Max” setting but retaining a function that can lift the vehicle’s maximum speed by as much as 50 % above the detected limit. By contrast, Sweden and France have publicly raised objections to any speed-offset capability, and an EU-wide vote originally slated for October has been postponed to at least December while additional testing proceeds.

Reuters

• Speed offset tolerance: Germany -> up to 10 % above the limit; Dutch-approved version -> up to 50 %.

Reuters

• Safety-performance metrics: Tesla’s European research relies on proxy behaviours such as hard braking and horn-honking rather than direct crash-rate or traffic-death data.

Reuters

• “My goal is for Tesla drivers to be able to enjoy the benefits of 'assisted driving' throughout the EU without delay,” — Bilger. Germany — Steffen Bilger, German Transport Minister.

Reuters