Tesla has renamed its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver-assistance feature to Tesla Assisted Driving (TAD) in Europe, according to a statement from the German Transport Ministry.
Tesla offered the name change after talks with the ministry last month, and on Friday the automaker started using the Tesla Assisted Driving name on its European sales website.
The ministry says German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger found the "FSD" name "somewhat misleading." Following the discussions with Tesla, Bilger said he would now advocate for European regulators to approve the feature "as quickly as possible." A vote on approval at EU level is expected by the end of the year.
Tesla Assisted Driving Approval Status in Europe
The rename does not change what the software does. Tesla Assisted Driving can accelerate, brake, steer, and park the car, but Tesla requires drivers to stay alert and ready to intervene at all times. The feature cannot drive the vehicle on its own.
Europe is still mostly closed to the system. The Netherlands became the first European government to give Tesla provisional permission to launch it this past spring.
Australia and New Zealand approved the feature last year, and a version became available to customers in China in May. In the US, Tesla charges $99 per month for a Full Self-Driving (Supervised) subscription. European pricing for Tesla Assisted Driving has not been announced.
Why Regulators Pushed Back on the Full Self-Driving Name
Tesla resisted changing the name for years and defended it in court. Last year, California's Department of Motor Vehicles concluded that Tesla's use of the terms "Full Self-Driving" and "Autopilot" was misleading and violated state law.
After the agency threatened to suspend Tesla's manufacturing and dealer licenses in California, the automaker stopped using "Autopilot," an older and less capable driver-assistance feature. Tesla also kept "(Supervised)" attached to the official Full Self-Driving name.
The software remains under scrutiny in the US. In March, the federal government opened a probe into Full Self-Driving after nine incidents in which the system allegedly failed to respond in reduced visibility and did not warn drivers to take over. Tesla recalled an older version of the software in 2023 after US authorities found that it did not follow some traffic laws.
Tesla and CEO Elon Musk have pushed for years to get the driver-assistance technology approved in other global markets.
For Tesla owners and buyers in Europe, the practical effect is limited. The new name applies to marketing and sales material, and outside of the Dutch provisional permission, the feature still lacks approval for use on public roads. Owners should continue to treat the system as driver assistance that requires constant supervision, which is what Tesla's own requirements state.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the rename, and the EU has not set a firm date for its approval vote.
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