Tesla renames Full Self-Driving to Assisted Driving in Europe amid regulatory scrutiny

Tesla renamed its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) feature to Tesla Assisted Driving (TAD) in Europe after German regulators criticized the original name as misleading. The change follows a statement by German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger, who described the 'FSD' terminology as 'somewhat misleading' and said he would advocate for European regulators to approve the renamed feature 'as quickly as possible.' The EU is expected to vote on approval by the end of 2026.

Tesla implemented the name change on its European sales website, replacing references to Full Self-Driving with Tesla Assisted Driving. The automaker has resisted altering the feature’s name for years, including defending it in court, but faced increasing pressure from regulators in multiple regions.

The scrutiny over Tesla’s driver-assistance terminology extends beyond Europe. Last year, California’s Department of Motor Vehicles ruled that the terms 'Full Self-Driving' and 'Autopilot' were misleading and violated state law. Tesla subsequently stopped using 'Autopilot' in California but continued to use 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)' elsewhere, including appending '(Supervised)' to clarify driver oversight requirements.

Tesla’s push for regulatory approval of its driver-assistance technology aligns with its broader business strategy to generate revenue through software subscriptions, such as the $99 per month Full Self-Driving subscription in the U.S. The company has pursued approvals in other global markets, including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and China, where versions of the feature have been made available to customers.

Regulatory and safety concerns about Tesla’s driver-assistance systems have persisted. In March, the U.S. federal government opened a probe into the Full Self-Driving system after nine incidents where the feature allegedly failed to respond due to reduced visibility and did not warn drivers to take over. Tesla also recalled an older version of the software in 2023 after the U.S. government found it did not comply with some traffic laws.