Tesla CEO Elon Musk is optimistic that the company's "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) system will soon receive approval across the European Union. However, regulatory bodies in various European countries have serious doubts about the technology's safety standards and marketing strategies.
The Dutch road regulatory authority RDW approved Tesla's "FSD (Supervised)" technology in April. Now, efforts are underway to initiate a permitting process across the entire European Union based on this approval.
Regulators' security concerns
Regulatory bodies in the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway have expressed various concerns about the safety of FSD technology. These bodies question the system's tendency to exceed speed limits and whether its performance in icy road conditions is sufficiently safe.
Regulators are also concerned that drivers may be able to disable features that prevent cell phone use. Some officials say the name “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” could create a false impression among consumers that the vehicle is completely autonomous.
A Swedish investigator expressed surprise that Tesla's FSD system allows for speeding, calling it unacceptable. Finnish authorities, meanwhile, raised questions about the system's performance on snowy and icy roads.
Tesla places great importance on FSD approval to increase its market share in Europe. The company says it expects the approval process across Europe to be completed in the second or third quarter of this year.
Printing strategy and approval process
European regulators are expressing discomfort with Tesla's strategy of encouraging vehicle owners to put pressure on regulators. Musk has previously urged customers to pressure regulators.
A Norwegian official stated that such guidance misinforms consumers and makes the job of regulators more difficult. Tesla's EU policy director, Ivan Komusanac, apologized to officials, acknowledging that this did not help the approval process.
For the FSD to be approved across Europe, it needs the approval of 55% of member states and 65% of the population. There is currently no voting schedule, and the next meetings are expected to take place in July and October.
Some regulators, however, have stated that they find the system's performance in complex traffic conditions positive. A Danish official said that the vehicles performed quite well in Copenhagen traffic.
Tesla's challenging approval process in Europe is seen as a critical turning point for the company's sales targets and competitiveness in the region.
