Tesla has changed the name of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature to Tesla Assisted Driving in Europe. The move, first spotted on European sales websites including Germany, Spain, and France, comes after German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger raised concerns that the term "Full Self-Driving" was misleading consumers into believing the system could drive fully autonomously.
The rebranding is part of Tesla's push to get the feature approved in more European countries. While FSD (Supervised) is already available in the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Croatia, Tesla wants to expand it across the continent. German authorities said the old name did not reflect the system's actual capabilities—it assists with tasks like accelerating, braking, and steering but requires drivers to stay alert and intervene at all times.
Why Tesla Renamed Full Self-Driving in Europe
The name change follows discussions between Tesla and German regulators. According to Germany's Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, Minister Bilger discussed concerns over the FSD name with Tesla in September and reached an understanding. Tesla then agreed to rename the feature Tesla Assisted Driving (TAD) in Europe.
Bilger said he would now advocate for the system's timely approval across Europe. The European Union is expected to vote on its approval by the end of the year. Meanwhile, authorities in Sweden and Italy are also assessing whether the Full Self-Driving name could confuse consumers.
Tesla has long resisted changing the feature's name. Last year, California's Department of Motor Vehicles concluded that Tesla's use of "Full Self-Driving" and "Autopilot" was misleading and violated state law. After the agency threatened to suspend Tesla's manufacturing and dealer licenses, the automaker stopped using "Autopilot." It has continued to append "(Supervised)" to the official name of its Full Self-Driving tech.
