France begins road tests of Tesla's FSD system ahead of EU vote

France has initiated on-road testing of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) advanced driver assistance system, a move that could influence the technology's approval across the European Union. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot announced the development on Tuesday, stating that Tesla has provided two vehicles equipped with FSD for the trials.

The testing follows a provisional approval granted by the Netherlands' road authority (RDW) in April, which was subsequently mirrored by Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, and Lithuania. These national endorsements precede a potential bloc-wide vote on FSD, which could occur as early as next month.

FSD is a driver assistance system capable of accelerating, braking, and steering, though it requires a human driver to remain attentive and ready to intervene. It does not constitute a fully autonomous driving system.

In July, Tabarot had expressed reservations about the technology's safety trade-offs, particularly concerning speed limitation and driver attention warnings. However, after several months of technical collaboration with Tesla, the minister described a "constructive exchange" with CEO Elon Musk, leading to the current testing phase.

A transport ministry source indicated that France intends to independently verify data provided by the Netherlands and Tesla, while also assessing FSD's performance on French roads. Test results are expected by mid-to-late September, positioning France to vote on the matter in the coming months. A decision could be reached as early as next month or by early December.