Tesla has rebranded its “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” system to “Tesla Assisted Driving” in Europe, responding to pressure from Germany’s transportation ministry. This change marks a significant shift, as Tesla had long used the FSD name despite the system requiring driver supervision. The renaming aims to address concerns that the previous title was misleading about the system’s true capabilities, which do not include fully autonomous driving. Germany’s transport minister, Steffen Bilger, endorsed the name change and intends to promote its adoption across Europe ahead of a potential EU-wide approval vote later this year.

The minister’s move came after discussions with Tesla, where the company proposed the new name as a compromise to gain broader regulatory acceptance. Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed gratitude to Bilger on social media, highlighting the company’s push for European acceptance of the technology. Musk has argued that the driver assistance system can save lives, emphasizing its benefits for car occupants as well as pedestrians, cyclists, and pets. The Netherlands has already become the first European country to approve Tesla’s driver assistance technology, reflecting ongoing progress despite regulatory hurdles.

Tesla’s assisted driving software has evolved substantially over the years, extending beyond traditional lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control to features like automated parking and surface street navigation. Tesla recently enabled the system to autonomously intervene to prevent collisions, even when not actively in use. Despite these advancements, the technology remains under scrutiny due to federal investigations and legal challenges related to crashes allegedly involving Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. Autopilot itself was discontinued earlier this year after legal rulings against Tesla for deceptive marketing practices.

The name change and regulatory developments come as Tesla faces criticism over its safety data and the pressure it has placed on European regulators to approve its technology. Reuters reported that Tesla’s campaign for approval relied on questionable research and intense lobbying. Nonetheless, the shift to “Tesla Assisted Driving” is viewed as a strategic concession aimed at gaining wider acceptance in Europe and unlocking a significant revenue opportunity for the company in the continent’s automotive market.