Tesla has officially renamed its most advanced driver-assistance feature to Tesla Assisted Driving (TAD) in Europe. The change comes as the automaker seeks regulatory approval to operate the system on public roads across the continent. The company began displaying the new terminology on its European sales website on Friday.
The rebranding follows direct feedback from German authorities. A statement from the German Transport Ministry confirmed that Tesla offered to change the name after discussions with Transport Minister Steffen Bilger. Bilger stated that he found the “Full Self-Driving” label to be “somewhat misleading.” Following these talks, Bilger indicated he would advocate for European regulators to approve the feature as quickly as possible.
Regulatory Pressure in Germany and the EU
The European Union is expected to vote on the approval of the technology by the end of the year. This potential approval would mark a significant expansion for Tesla, which has faced scrutiny over its marketing practices in multiple jurisdictions. The company has long resisted changing the name, even defending it in legal proceedings.
In the United States, the California Department of Motor Vehicles concluded last year that Tesla’s use of the terms “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 the term “Autopilot.” It continues to append “(Supervised)” to the official name of its Full Self-Driving technology to clarify that human oversight is required.
Despite the technical limitations, Tesla drivers report that the system has improved significantly since its introduction in 2020. Online forums are filled with accounts of users taking long trips without needing to intervene. However, the technology has also faced intense scrutiny. In March, the US federal government opened an investigation into the system after nine incidents where the software allegedly failed to respond due to reduced visibility and did not warn drivers to take control.
Safety Concerns and Global Expansion
Tesla recalled an older version of the software in 2023 after the US government found that it did not follow certain traffic laws. CEO Elon Musk and the company have pushed for other global markets to approve the technology for years. Approval would create a lucrative, software-based revenue stream for the world’s most valuable automaker. In the US, Tesla charges $99 per month for a Full Self-Driving (Supervised) subscription.
Tesla has already secured some international approvals. Australia and New Zealand approved the feature last year. The Netherlands became the first European government to grant provisional permission for Tesla to launch the system this past spring. A version of the feature also became available to customers in China in May.
Recent reports have added to the regulatory challenges. Reuters reported this week that Tesla presented misleading safety data to European regulators while lobbying for approval. Safety researchers have accused the automaker of using similar misleading statistics to promote its technology in the US market. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the name change.
Source: Wired
