France Begins Road Testing Tesla's Full Self-Driving System Ahead of EU Vote
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot announced that France has deployed two test vehicles to evaluate Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system on public roads. France aims to collect performance and safety data by mid-to-late September to prepare for an upcoming European Union vote on FSD approval. Overcoming regulatory scrutiny in France is a major hurdle for Tesla's expansion plans in Europe. Approval by France and a subsequent favorable vote by the EU could allow Tesla to officially roll out FSD across European member states. The road tests specifically address previous concerns from French authorities regarding speed limit recognition and driver attention warnings. Despite its name, FSD remains a Level 2 driver-assistance system that requires constant driver supervision and readiness to intervene.
## BACKGROUND
Automotive safety standards in Europe are heavily governed by regulations such as the UNECE Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS) framework, which requires rigorous verification before automated features can be deployed. Unlike in the US, commercial rollout of advanced driving systems in the EU mandates multi-country validation and coordinated regulatory approval.