FSD in Germany: Tesla offers ride-alongs
In December, Tesla is offering ride-alongs in Germany to showcase its 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)'. This could be a preparation for the EU launch.
(Image: A. Aleksandravicius/Shutterstock.com)
Tesla is sending another signal that the US automaker wants to bring its partially autonomous driving under supervision to the EU soon. In Germany, Tesla is offering ride-alongs at various locations in December to demonstrate 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)' under real road conditions. Interested parties can register with Tesla. The entire month of December is indicated as the period.
According to Tesla, ride-alongs will be offered in Hamburg, Hanover, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Gießen, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Stuttgart, and Munich. In each case, a licensed safety driver will be at the wheel. The automaker reserves the right in the terms and conditions to use recordings made by passengers for marketing purposes. Apparently, the ride-along could therefore be a preparation to accompany the introduction of supervised FSD in Europe in marketing.
Another sign for FSD in the EU
The initiative follows recent events in the Netherlands. There, Tesla is seeking an exemption, according to its statement, to bring the advanced self-driving features known from the USA to Europe as well. If the approval authority in the Netherlands agrees, this permit could quickly be extended to Germany and the rest of the EU. This would require a majority decision by the responsible EU committee. Tesla apparently hopes that the approval will occur in February 2026. The Dutch authority is not yet willing to commit to a timeframe.
Videos by heise
Driver-supervised self-driving is currently a key development focus at Tesla. In the latest software updates for the Model S, 3, X, and Y, the release notes primarily contain entries related to FSD functions. In FSD V14.2.1, Tesla is improving the detection of emergency vehicles and obstacles on the road, for example. Independent parking also apparently still presents difficulties, as can be seen from various test videos on YouTube. According to the release notes, these problems are also addressed in the latest update.
Currently, Tesla offers 'FSD (Supervised)' in the USA, Canada, China, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
(mki)