Tesla touts European supervised self-driving safety data ahead of EU vote

Tesla highlighted safety data from its supervised self-driving technology in five European nations ahead of an upcoming EU decision on broader deployment, according to reports. The automaker claimed that vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system encountered significantly fewer collisions compared to manually driven Teslas during a period of extensive testing. The data, released on Tuesday, indicated that FSD-equipped cars recorded 4.1 times fewer collisions than human-driven models in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, and Lithuania. This analysis covered more than 100 million kilometers of driving, with FSD vehicles involved in three highway incidents and nine off-road collisions. In contrast, manually operated Tesla vehicles saw 137 highway crashes and 490 non-highway accidents during the same timeframe. The Netherlands became the first European country to grant provisional approval for Tesla’s FSD system in April, followed by Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, and Lithuania. These approvals paved the way for discussions on expanding FSD availability across the entire European Union. Tesla emphasized that the data supporting these national decisions was shared with EU member state regulators in April through an open-source safety dashboard launched on its website. The company stated that the dashboard was made public as part of its effort to bolster confidence in its technology ahead of a potential EU-wide approval vote. Tesla has been actively lobbying for expanded FSD access, aiming for a vote as early as October 6. For approval to proceed, it requires backing from at least 15 of the EU’s 27 member states, representing a minimum of 65 percent of the bloc’s population. Sales figures for Tesla in Europe revealed a mixed performance, with some regions showing growth while others lagged. The push for FSD approval is critical for the company, as it seeks to enhance market presence in the region. However, the approval process has drawn scrutiny due to concerns over transparency. European regulators, including the Dutch Road Authority (RDW), have withheld safety data used to justify FSD approval, citing commercial sensitivity. Experts have raised doubts about the validity of Tesla’s safety claims, with previous reports indicating that the data might rely on flawed comparisons that could mislead regulators and the public. Despite this, Tesla maintains that its findings reflect real-world performance and supports its case for broader deployment. As the EU prepares to consider wider FSD adoption, the debate continues over whether the technology meets necessary safety standards. With regulatory bodies weighing both technical assessments and transparency issues, the outcome of the upcoming vote will likely shape the future of autonomous driving in Europe. The final decision hinges on whether sufficient consensus can be reached among member states, balancing innovation against consumer protection and regulatory oversight.