Full Self-Driving is 'misleading' says Germany's Ministry of Transport

Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport is advocating for the approval of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, despite concerns over its controversial name. The ministry's Transport Minister, Steffen Bilger, is pushing for the legalization of FSD, aiming to bring the advantages of driver assistance systems to Europe as soon as possible.

The ministry has agreed to allow the technology to travel up to 10% faster than the local speed limit, which has raised concerns among other European nations. Eight European countries have already authorized Tesla's autonomous driving system, with a broader rollout throughout the European Union anticipated by 2027.

While Germany considers FSD to be highly effective, particularly in urban traffic, the ministry is not convinced about the naming. They argue that FSD is misleading, as it is not a system that takes over the complete driving task. Instead, FSD is a driver assistance system that can support certain driving tasks, such as accelerating, braking, and steering. However, the driver must remain vigilant at all times.

In response to the naming controversy, Tesla has offered to rename the system to "Tesla Assisted Driving" in Germany, a step that could potentially be extended to other markets in the future. The controversy surrounding FSD has been ongoing for years, with numerous court cases in the US involving accidents and Tesla's driver assistance systems.

Although certain aspects of the technology have been questioned, such as Tesla's avoidance of LiDAR in favor of an advanced camera-only system, it has generally been praised for its ability to handle driving tasks, potentially reducing driver fatigue. However, the Federal Ministry of Transport emphasizes that the driver must remain attentive at all times, a point that often leads to confusion.