France opposes EU approval of Tesla’s FSD software

France has publicly opposed the European Union-wide approval of Tesla's ↘ 2.08% Full Self-Driving software, marking the first formal rejection by an EU government of a Dutch-led effort to clear the technology for use across the bloc.

Safety Concerns Over Speeding and Driver Attention

French Transportation Minister Philippe Tabarot laid out his government's position in a video statement released on Wednesday, citing two core safety issues: speeding behavior and inadequate driver monitoring.KELO+1

"In France, we believe that, while this system brings a number of technological advances, the safety tradeoffs are not yet sufficient to justify authorisation in its current form," Tabarot said.KELO

On speeding, Tabarot said regulators found that FSD can exceed posted speed limits by as much as 50 percent to match surrounding traffic flow without driver input — for instance, driving at 70 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. "So the traffic code isn't being respected," he said.TeslaNorth.com+1

The minister also raised concerns that the system "doesn't guarantee an optimal level of driver attention in urban settings and during the most complex maneuvers, such as lane changes, intersections, or roundabouts," according to data reviewed by French authorities.Electrek+1

A Hurdle for Tesla's European Ambitions

The Netherlands' road authority RDW approved FSD on a provisional basis in April, and Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, and Lithuania followed with their own approvals in anticipation of a bloc-wide vote. But EU-wide authorization requires support from at least 15 of the 27 member states representing 65 percent of the bloc's population. France, as one of the EU's most populous nations, holds outsized weight in that calculation.Reuters+3

Tabarot noted that other European countries share France's concerns, though he did not name them. Reuters Thomson Reuters Corporation ↗ 5.20% reported in June that Sweden may also oppose approval. The June 30 meeting of the EU's Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles produced discussion but no vote, pushing the next opportunity to October.EV+1

Musk Pushes Back

Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the French minister's remarks in a post on X, writing that "delaying the approval of FSD in France will cost lives". Tesla has faced broader scrutiny over its European regulatory push, with Reuters reporting in June that the company presented self-published safety statistics to regulators in Sweden and the Netherlands that independent researchers called misleading.Reuters+1

Tabarot said France is continuing technical discussions with the Netherlands, other EU states, and Tesla to refine its analysis.KELO+1