EU Regulators Question Tesla FSD Over Speeding, Ice and Safeguard Bypasses
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system faces resistance from EU regulators in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway over speed-limit adherence, icy-road handling and potential safeguard bypasses. The Dutch road authority RDW granted supervised FSD clearance in April, but Tesla needs approval from 55% of member states representing 65% of the EU population.
1. Broad Regulatory Skepticism
Regulators in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway have raised formal concerns about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system, highlighting instances of speed-limit violations, uncertain performance on icy roads and the possibility that drivers can circumvent safeguards designed to prevent phone use while driving.
2. Dutch Supervised Approval
The Netherlands’ RDW granted an initial supervised-mode clearance for FSD in April, allowing Tesla vehicles to operate under limited autonomy with driver oversight, but this national approval must now be ratified at the EU level to enable bloc-wide deployment.
3. EU Approval Requirements
For FSD to receive EU-wide authorization, at least 55% of member states representing 65% of the bloc’s population must vote in favor; no vote is scheduled this week, with next committee meetings anticipated in July and October.
4. Tesla’s Regulatory Engagement
Tesla’s outreach strategy, which includes encouraging owners to lobby regulators, has generated friction with officials who view the campaign as an additional complication, potentially prolonging the approval timeline and affecting subscription take-up rates.