Germany Will Back EU FSD as Tesla Assisted Driving With 10% Cap

Germany is prepared to support the rollout of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Europe, but under a different name. According to a post on X from @tpgoebel, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Transport (BMV) wants FSD to be labeled “Tesla Assisted Driving,” or TAD, as part of a push for EU-wide approval.

Federal Transport Minister Bilger reportedly reached an agreement with Tesla in September and now intends to advocate for the system. Germany has not yet authorized FSD for use on its own roads, but this is the strongest indication so far that Europe’s largest car market is supportive.

Conditions for Germany’s Support

Beyond the new name, the ministry says the system shows “particularly high performance in urban traffic” based on findings to date. It also wants Tesla to limit FSD so it exceeds posted speed limits by no more than 10%.

If these conditions are met, Germany will back continuing the European approval process to bring the technology to drivers “as quickly as possible while maintaining high safety standards.”

The TAD label is not entirely new. FSD is also expected to launch in China as Tesla Assisted Driving, based on updates to Tesla’s Chinese owner’s manuals earlier this year.

A 10% Speed Cap Targets Speed Offset

The 10% ceiling is aimed at FSD’s Speed Offset feature, which currently allows the system to exceed posted limits by up to 50% in certain situations. Germany had already raised concerns about overspeeding last month, and Sweden has urged Brussels to deny EU-wide approval over the same issue. France and road safety groups such as the European Transport Safety Council have voiced similar objections.

To gain EU approval, Tesla will likely need to either remove Speed Offset from its European FSD build or cap it at 10%, as recommended by Germany. Whether that satisfies Sweden, France, and other skeptics remains uncertain.

Where EU Approval Stands

The EU vote on bloc-wide FSD approval was delayed from October 6 to December at the earliest. Whenever the vote occurs, Tesla will require a qualified majority of at least 15 countries in favor, and it has been collecting individual national approvals one by one. Eight countries have approved FSD so far:

Netherlands
Belgium
Denmark
Lithuania
Estonia
Slovenia
Czechia
Croatia

Tesla is also deep into talks for FSD approval in Ireland, while other countries like Italy are nearing decisions. Globally, FSD has been approved for use in a total of 16 countries.

With Germany likely aligning behind Tesla, the December vote appears more promising, although European owners may see a TAD badge rather than FSD on their screens when it arrives.