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Germany’s transport minister will advocate for European approval, but the software still requires an attentive driver. The U.S. keeps the old branding.
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Tesla now calls its European system Tesla Assisted Driving, responding to Germany’s transport ministry, which said the former Full Self-Driving branding could mislead people about driver responsibility. The label change does not indicate a change in the system’s capabilities: drivers must remain attentive and take over when needed. Transport Minister Steffen Bilger says he will advocate for broader European approval, but that support is not approval; an EU-wide vote could take place later this year, according to TechCrunch.
In the U.S., Tesla continues to market Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for $99 per month.
The Netherlands was the first European country to approve FSD (Supervised); a wider EU vote is possible later this year but is not confirmed.
A California judge found deceptive marketing in December 2025; Tesla is contesting the outcome in ongoing litigation.
Tesla’s European driving software now carries a name that puts assistance, rather than autonomy, first. The company has replaced Full Self-Driving (Supervised) with Tesla Assisted Driving following German government pushback. Germany’s transport minister has also pledged to advocate for European approval, linking the branding concession to Tesla’s effort to win wider permission for the system.
The catalyst was a discussion with Germany’s transport ministry. Minister Steffen Bilger spoke with Tesla in September, and the company proposed the new name, according to a ministry release described by TechCrunch.
On Tuesday, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport publicly called the FSD branding “somewhat misleading.” Its objection focused on the gap between the name and the driver’s responsibility. The ministry described software that supports parts of driving, not a system that assumes the whole job.
It is not a system that takes over the entire driving task. Rather, it is a driver assistance system that can support certain driving tasks such as accelerating, braking, and steering. The driver must remain attentive at all times.
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, in a statement quoted by CNBC
That responsibility includes taking over when necessary. The software requires people behind the wheel to watch the road, even while it handles driving tasks. The word “Supervised” in the previous branding acknowledged that requirement; the new name places the assistance role at the center.
The European concession does not extend to the U.S. Tesla continues to sell the package there as Full Self-Driving (Supervised), charging owners $99 a month. The regional split leaves the company using the autonomy-focused wording in one market while adopting the assistance-focused wording in another.
The distinction has a legal history. In December 2025, a California judge determined that Tesla had engaged in deceptive marketing around its Autopilot and FSD systems. The finding concerned claims that falsely implied the products were fully automated driving systems, CNBC reported.
Tesla is contesting that outcome through a countersuit against California’s Department of Motor Vehicles in Los Angeles superior court. The litigation remains ongoing.
Tesla already has a European foothold: the Netherlands became the first country on the continent to approve FSD (Supervised) earlier this year. Bilger’s pledge concerns wider approval across Europe, rather than that existing Dutch permission. An EU-wide vote could take place later this year, according to TechCrunch.
The approval campaign also faces scrutiny beyond branding. Reuters reported on October 7 that Tesla’s European push relied on flawed safety research. It also reported that the Dutch vehicle safety regulator, RDW, faced fierce pressure from Tesla and its online supporters. Those are Reuters’ reported findings, as described by TechCrunch.
Bilger’s pledge is support for approval, not an announcement that Europe-wide permission has been granted.
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