Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) demonstrated the capabilities of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software to a Swedish Transport Administration official in Germany, marking a notable first for the use of Tesla's FSD technology on European roads, as shared by DriveTeslaCanada.
This event underscored Tesla's ongoing efforts to expand the reach of its advanced autonomous driving technology beyond North America, where it was primarily tested and deployed since its initial release in October 2020.
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— Tsla Chan (@Tslachan) April 27, 2024
First video about FSD v12 driving in Germany.
Description says it only intervened once in 45 minutes. Driving smoothly in Europe too.
pic.twitter.com/sCBAPh6Gyb
The demonstration was in Munich with Rikard Fredriksson, a senior advisor at the Swedish Transport Administration, experiencing the FSD's performance firsthand.
The test run was a 45-kilometer (@28 miles) journey through the city with Fredriksson highlighting the system's "impressive smooth and natural driving" in a post on LinkedIn.
Marc Van Impe, Tesla Global Policy Lead, and Phillip Holz, Lead Vehicle Operator ADAS Test Operations, conducted the demonstration in a Midnight Cherry Red Model Y equipped with the latest supervised version of FSD.
This event comes amidst ongoing regulatory challenges in Europe where stricter autonomous driving regulations hindered the broader deployment of FSD.
Despite recent updates from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS), Tesla struggled to meet regulatory standards that currently prohibit system-initiated maneuvers essential for FSD functionality. The demonstration to the Swedish official could be a step towards engaging European regulators and showcasing the system's potential within the prescribed legal framework.
This strategic move aligns closely with Tesla's recent activities, including a reported deal with Chinese internet giant Baidu to further integrate and enhance FSD capabilities.
Photo: Model Y, courtesy of Tesla