Investigation Reveals Tesla Pressured European Regulators to Approve FSD

A new investigation by Reuters reveals that Tesla exerted significant pressure on European authorities to approve its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system, reportedly by presenting safety data with identified flaws and mobilizing fans to lobby regulators.

What Happened

The Reuters investigation reviewed internal emails between Tesla and the Dutch regulator RDW, interviewed agency staffers, and consulted seven independent traffic-safety researchers. These researchers identified significant flaws in the safety reports Tesla submitted to European authorities. Tesla’s "Evidence Dashboard," submitted in April, reportedly covered far fewer test miles than the hundreds of millions driven by Tesla users. Instead of direct crash data, Tesla pointed to "behavioral surrogates" such as horn use, sudden acceleration, and turn-signal usage to argue FSD was safer than human drivers. The researchers stated these measures are poor proxies for actual crash risk and did not believe the study demonstrated that FSD prevents fatal crashes.

Internal emails also showed Tesla repeatedly pushing the RDW to reduce the scope or intensity of its evaluation, citing cost and extent concerns. An RDW staffer subsequently offered to discuss ways to "adjust or reduce" the required scrutiny. The RDW responded that such exchanges are "a routine part of the assessment process" and do not compromise independence. Additionally, Tesla and CEO Elon Musk used the social media platform X to encourage fans to pressure regulators. Officials in Sweden and Norway received dozens of emails from Tesla fans, some of whom claimed regulators would be responsible for deaths if the FSD rollout was delayed.

Why It Matters

The pressure campaign highlights the tension between Tesla’s strategic push for autonomy and the regulatory scrutiny required for safety-critical systems. For Tesla, expanding FSD into Europe represents a potential market worth millions in additional subscription revenue, a key component of CEO Elon Musk’s bet on autonomy and AI for the company’s future growth. However, the investigation notes there are no publicly available independent or peer-reviewed studies showing FSD is safer than a human driver, forcing authorities to rely on Tesla’s data before conducting their own tests.

While the Netherlands approved FSD, followed by Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Czechia, Slovenia, and Croatia, other nations remain cautious. France and Norway have taken a more careful approach, and Germany, which appears on track to approve the system, required Tesla to rename FSD "Tesla Assisted Driving" after objecting to the original name. Germany has also indicated it will advocate for EU-wide approval. An EU-wide vote on FSD is currently pending, requiring support from 55% of member countries representing at least 65% of the bloc's population.

The Bottom Line

Tesla continues to advocate for FSD’s safety and regulatory approval in Europe, having secured endorsements from several nations while facing ongoing scrutiny regarding the independence of its evaluation process and the validity of its supporting data.