Germany's Transport Ministry is pushing for swift EU approval of Tesla's driver assistance systems, noting potential confusion around the naming convention since vehicles do not operate fully autonomously.
Reports indicate Tesla offered a rename to 'Tesla Assisted Driving' amid ongoing regulatory and legal developments across Europe and North America.
Germany's stance and the name change proposal
Although the system can accelerate, brake and steer, the driver must constantly monitor it and remains responsible for driving. As a result, the company has reportedly proposed renaming it an assisted driving system.
Technical and legal issues remain to be resolved before final approval is given, although Bilger reached a common understanding with the company in September. So far, the operation has been approved in eight European countries, namely the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Croatia, with a vote at the European Union level not expected until December.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly thanked the minister on social media for pushing for approval, even though he had previously been a strong critic of European Union rules.
Problems and litigation in the United States
Similar issues with system names have arisen in the United States. In December 2025, a judge in California ruled that the company misled consumers by using specific names for its driving functions. In February 2026, Tesla filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles to overturn that decision.
Additionally, in January, the company stopped offering the basic assist feature on new vehicles in the United States and Canada, switching drivers to a monthly subscription to use the advanced feature.
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