Tesla FSD may get license in Europe and China by this year

Tesla is expecting Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology could obtain a license in Europe and China by the end of this year. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla confirmed that his EV company is taking new steps in this direction.

“We will ask for regulatory approval for supervised FSD in Europe, China, and other countries,” Musk said during the Q2 2024 earning call on July 23.

FSD can automatically navigate Tesla cars through traffic and take the driver and passengers to a destination. It can maneuver and understand the traffic and stop signals. It is required to be supervised by a human driver to take control when a complex situation emerges.

In April this year, former Tesla policy head, Rohan Patel explained challenges around FSD approval in Europe. Patel said the current regulations are quite complicated for FSD to enter the region, specifically for the Supervised FSD system. Since then, there have been no new updates available about Tesla’s progress with European regulators.

On the other hand, the EV maker is moving smoothly in China. In late April, CEO Musk visited China and marked a new deal with tech giant Baidu.

This partnership will allow the company to use its 3D mapping technology for FSD cars in the country. Car companies in China require a mapping certification to obtain a smart driving services license. However overseas automakers will need a partner to enter this field.

In the following month, the company filed for a “Full Self-Driving” software regulatory registration application with Chinese authorities to secure the trademark.

The EV maker has a large customer base in China. However, uncertainty remains over the vehicles data to train the system which is essential for both Tesla and FSD. It’s also a matter of concern from the Chinese side which held the company back in the past. This time, Tesla has a higher chance of getting approval for FSD.