Germany Backs Faster EU Approval for Tesla FSD, Agrees on Renaming

Germany's Federal Ministry for Transport has decided to support an accelerated EU-wide approval process for Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) driver assistance system, according to digitaltoday.co.kr. The ministry did not itself approve the current FSD system but backs speeding up the approval procedure at the European Union level.

Under an agreement between the ministry and Tesla, FSD may exceed the speed limit by up to 10 percent. The ministry assessed the system's ability to handle acceleration, braking and steering in urban driving as being at a high level.

Tesla also proposed renaming the system to 'Tesla Assisted Driving', because the FSD name could be misinterpreted as implying full autonomy.

Earlier Steps in Europe

In September, the German Federal Ministry for Transport discussed technical and liability issues with Tesla. In April, the Netherlands allowed FSD operation on public roads after more than 18 months of evaluation, and the system is currently available in 8 countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Croatia.

The European version of FSD differs from the US version in how speed adjustment works, and the version approved in the Netherlands does not include the aggressive 'Mad Max' driving mode available in the US. As of July, FSD subscribers exceeded 1.48 million. Tesla launched a monthly subscription at 199 USD in the US in July 2021 alongside a one-time purchase option; from February 2026 it is offering only the subscription option to new US customers. Current FSD pricing is 99 USD per month in the US and 99 euros per month in Europe.