„Assisted Driving“: Tesla benennt nach Kritik Assistenzsystem in Europa um
Der Name von Teslas neuem Assistenzsystem FSD wurde lange als irreführend kritisiert, weil er autonomes Fahren verspreche. Im Ringen um eine europaweite Zulassung lenkt Elon Musks Autobauer nun ein.
Tesla has changed the controversial name of its driver-assistance system in Europe following years of criticism. On the company's websites in Germany and other European countries, the name is now "Tesla Assisted Driving," clearly indicating that it is merely an assistance system. Previously, Tesla called it "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)," translated as "Voll-Selbstständiges Fahren (Überwacht)" in Germany.
For years, there have been accusations that Tesla's name promised autonomous driving, while in reality, the driver was always required to maintain control of the vehicle and bear liability. The first name, "Autopilot," for basic driver-assistance technology, was dropped after legal disputes. In the U.S. home market, Tesla still uses "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" despite ongoing discussions.
For years, Tesla has promised that its cars would be fully autonomous, a claim made by CEO Elon Musk a decade ago. However, recently, Tesla began producing cars without a steering wheel and pedals and has some autonomous vehicles operating in the U.S. However, there is controversy with U.S. transportation oversight, as the rules require a physical brake pedal, and Tesla did not apply for an exception.
Doubts about Musk's approach have been questioned by some experts and competitors, as he insists that self-driving cars should rely solely on cameras. Rivals like Waymo, a Google sister company, use radar sensors and laser radars, which scan the environment around the vehicles extensively. Critics point out that cameras are not enough security in poor visibility or strong sunlight.
The German Federal Minister of Transport, Steffen Bilger (CDU), has only permitted Tesla's FSD in a few European countries so far. The automaker has been trying for a long time to obtain a Europe-wide approval. The minister expressed his support for a Europe-wide license after a "constructive agreement" with Tesla on technical matters and liability issues, including that the assistance system should not exceed the maximum allowed speed by more than ten percent, and that people at the wheel remain 100 percent responsible for safe vehicle operation.
Tesla had even offered to change the name to Assisted Driving, according to the ministry's announcement.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
