The US car manufacturer Tesla plans to introduce its autonomous driving system, Full Self Driving (FSD), to Europe and China next year. This announcement was made by the company on X. The introduction is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025, pending approval from regulatory authorities.
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According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, markets with right-hand drive vehicles, such as Great Britain, will hopefully see FSD “by the end of the first or beginning of the second quarter.” Official approvals are still awaited for these markets as well.
It is unclear which level of automated or autonomous driving the authorities will approve. Currently, only Mercedes-Benz and BMW offer level 3 systems, where drivers can disengage from driving and focus on other activities. These systems are limited to motorways and speeds up to 60 km/h.
Unlike German manufacturers, Tesla does not use laser scanners and radars to detect the environment. BMW and Mercedes-Benz also rely on high-precision maps to accurately locate their vehicles.
Tesla is currently presenting its Full Self Driving (FSD) system to European authorities as part of the approval process. Rikard Fredriksson, a consultant for the Swedish Transport Agency, reported experiencing FSD version 12 in April 2024, describing the driving as “impressively smooth and natural.”
However, driving characteristics alone are not enough for approval; driver monitoring is also crucial. This system must ensure that the driver can regain control within a specific timeframe. Tesla’s AI team has announced that starting this month, it will be possible to record eye movements even when the driver is wearing sunglasses.
