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Wednesday, May 06, 2026 4:07:52 PM
Exclusive-Tesla faces EU skepticism over automated-driving tech, records show
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-faces-eu-skepticism-over-automated-driving-tech-records-show-2026-05-05/
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has projected confidence that the European Union will soon green-light the carmaker's "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) system, but emails from some European regulators show marked skepticism toward the technology and its stated safety benefits.
Tesla has a lot riding on FSD approval in Europe, where it is trying to regain market share it has lost over the last two years. The EV maker charges a monthly subscription for FSD
But in previously unreported email correspondence, regulators in the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway - who could prove critical to Musk's approval push - have raised a number of concerns over the technology.
Those include the system's tendency to speed, whether it is safe to use on icy roads and drivers' ability to circumvent features designed to prevent cell-phone use, according to the emails, which were seen by Reuters through public records requests.
They also expressed frustration with Tesla's strategy of publicly encouraging vehicle owners to pressure regulators to approve FSD.
Hans Nordin, a Swedish Transport Agency investigator, wrote in an April 15 email that he was “quite surprised" to learn Tesla allowed FSD to speed, and said that should not be permitted.
Jukka Juhola, an official in Finland’s transportation agency, wrote to other regulators in January questioning Tesla’s demos of FSD in wintry conditions.
“Are they really introducing a system that allows hands-free driving also on icy 80 km/h roads?” Juhola asked. The Nordic regulators also questioned how the system would handle moose on the roads.
Regulators also discussed whether Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” branding could mislead drivers into thinking the car drives itself.
Nordin, the Swedish Transport Agency investigator, asked in a January email whether the name “risks giving ?consumers a misleading impression" of FSD's abilities.
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-faces-eu-skepticism-over-automated-driving-tech-records-show-2026-05-05/
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has projected confidence that the European Union will soon green-light the carmaker's "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) system, but emails from some European regulators show marked skepticism toward the technology and its stated safety benefits.
Tesla has a lot riding on FSD approval in Europe, where it is trying to regain market share it has lost over the last two years. The EV maker charges a monthly subscription for FSD
But in previously unreported email correspondence, regulators in the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway - who could prove critical to Musk's approval push - have raised a number of concerns over the technology.
Those include the system's tendency to speed, whether it is safe to use on icy roads and drivers' ability to circumvent features designed to prevent cell-phone use, according to the emails, which were seen by Reuters through public records requests.
They also expressed frustration with Tesla's strategy of publicly encouraging vehicle owners to pressure regulators to approve FSD.
Hans Nordin, a Swedish Transport Agency investigator, wrote in an April 15 email that he was “quite surprised" to learn Tesla allowed FSD to speed, and said that should not be permitted.
Jukka Juhola, an official in Finland’s transportation agency, wrote to other regulators in January questioning Tesla’s demos of FSD in wintry conditions.
“Are they really introducing a system that allows hands-free driving also on icy 80 km/h roads?” Juhola asked. The Nordic regulators also questioned how the system would handle moose on the roads.
Regulators also discussed whether Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” branding could mislead drivers into thinking the car drives itself.
Nordin, the Swedish Transport Agency investigator, asked in a January email whether the name “risks giving ?consumers a misleading impression" of FSD's abilities.
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