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

Tesla has renamed its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system to Tesla Assisted Driving in Europe, following criticism from German authorities that the original name was misleading. The new name has already appeared on Tesla's European websites, but it's still called Full Self-Driving in the US (and elsewhere).

The reason for the change is Germany's Transport Minister. Steffen Bilger argued that the system doesn't offer fully autonomous driving, despite its name. It handles steering, acceleration, braking, and navigation, but drivers must remain attentive and ready to take control at all times.

The name change is part of Tesla's efforts to secure EU-wide approval for the technology. The Netherlands became the first EU country to approve the system in April, with several others following. Eight EU countries currently allow its use, while Slovakia is expected to become the ninth. But currently, Tesla still needs to get support from each of the remaining member states.

With Germany's now pledged support, Tesla is pushing for a vote (scheduled for December) to get EU-wide approval for its Assisted Driving feature.

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