Tesla faces EU skepticism over automated-driving tech, records show

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has projected confidence that the European Union will soon green-light the carmaker’s "Full Self-Driving" system, but emails from some European regulators show marked skepticism toward the technology and its stated safety benefits. Tesla’s "FSD (Supervised)" technology got the nod from Dutch road regulator RDW in April, and RDW is now seeking EU approval for FSD, with a key committee hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

The EV maker charges a monthly subscription for FSD, which can drive itself under certain circumstances but requires the driver to be fully attentive at all times. In previously unreported email correspondence, regulators in the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway raised concerns over 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.

Those regulators also expressed frustration with Tesla’s strategy of publicly encouraging vehicle owners to pressure regulators to approve FSD. The messages, seen by Reuters through public records requests, show that the approval effort has become as much a regulatory and political challenge as a technical one.

Anders Eriksson, a Swedish Transport Agency investigator, told Reuters that the country is "generally positive" on automated driving technology, as long as it follows regulations. That position suggests the debate is not about rejecting automated driving outright, but about whether Tesla’s system meets the standards European authorities want in place before broader approval.

The discussion comes as Musk continues to push for wider access to Tesla’s driver-supervised automation software in Europe. Regulators have not yet taken a final bloc-wide decision, and the current process keeps the system under close review while national authorities continue weighing the concerns raised in the records.