Musk welcomes German backing for Tesla driver assistance tech as group chases EU approval

Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed gratitude to Germany on October 7 for supporting the automaker's driver-assistance software system, as he pursues approval across Europe. German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger highlighted his efforts to secure EU approval, discussing technical details and liability issues with Tesla last month. Germany has agreed to allow the system to exceed the maximum speed limit by up to 10 percent, a point of contention in the EU approval process.

Safety advocates and regulators argue that Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) system, which allows drivers to exceed speed limits, should be modified before approval. Bilger also mentioned that Tesla has offered to rename the system to "Tesla Assisted Driving" to avoid misleading perceptions. While several EU countries, like the Netherlands and Belgium, back the technology, others, including Sweden and France, have concerns about FSD exceeding speed limits.

An EU vote expected in October has been delayed to at least December, with some countries conducting additional tests. FSD approval is crucial for Tesla to regain market share in Europe, where competition from Chinese electric-vehicle makers is intensifying.