Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk has taken a strong stance against France’s delay in approving the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. Musk believes that the delay will have severe consequences, costing lives.
The Dispute
Musk tweeted that “delaying the approval of FSD in France will cost lives” in response to a video showcasing the French Minister of Transportation’s thoughts on FSD. The video was shared by Tesla influencer Sawyer Merritt. French transport regulators have indicated that Tesla’s FSD cannot be authorized in its current form, citing concerns over safety trade-offs.
Safety Concerns
The French Minister of Transportation expressed concerns that the system allows for speeding and does not guarantee optimal driver attention in urban settings and during complex maneuvers. The minister stressed that the system is not a self-driving system as it currently stands. Technical discussions are ongoing with the Netherlands, other European states, and Tesla to address these concerns.
Key Points
- The safety trade-offs are not yet sufficient to authorize FSD as it currently stands
- France is coordinating with European counterparts and Tesla to make necessary changes to meet safety expectations
- A French transport ministry representative traveled to the Netherlands to discuss the matter
Early FSD Data
Tesla released early European data in June, showing that its supervised FSD had 3.5× fewer collisions than human drivers in the Netherlands, with zero crashes over 16.6 million highway kilometers. However, this data lacks third-party verification and is based on Tesla’s own telemetry after Dutch approval in April.
Conclusion
The dispute over Tesla’s FSD in France has escalated, with Elon Musk emphasizing the potential consequences of delaying approval. As the discussion continues, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and what changes will be made to the system to meet safety expectations.