Sweden opposes Tesla FSD technology

A SWEDISH transport authority has recommended European regulators reject the bloc-wide rollout of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system unless the electric vehicle maker removes a function that allows drivers to set speeds above posted limits.

In a letter dated April 30, obtained via a freedom of information request, the Swedish Transport Administration (TRV) warned that permitting automated systems to exceed legal speed limits risked undermining road safety and the legal framework governing vehicle automation.

The letter was sent to the European Union’s Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles (TCMV), which is scheduled to discuss the issue on June 30 ahead of a later vote on whether Tesla’s supervised self-driving technology should be introduced across the 27-member bloc.

Tesla has already secured approvals in several European countries for Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which allows vehicles to steer on city streets and highways while requiring driver supervision.

Wider approval would strengthen the company’s position in Europe as it contends with increasing competition from Chinese EV brands.

The EV maker, led by Elon Musk, did not respond to requests for comment.

Tesla’s user manual states drivers must not rely solely on the system to determine speed and should always drive according to prevailing traffic and road conditions.

Under the system, drivers can select a Speed Offset setting that permits the vehicle to travel above the posted speed limit by a user-defined amount.

“Allowing automated systems to systematically exceed legal speed limits ... risks undermining both the legal framework and the expected safety benefits of vehicle automation,” said the TRV in a statement.

It called for the feature to be removed, adding that “failing this, the Swedish Transport Administration recommends that TCMV vote against the proposed introduction”.

Internal documents reviewed by Reuters show Sweden’s national type approval authority, the Swedish Transport Agency (STA), has raised concerns with Tesla and Dutch regulator RDW, including during a two-hour meeting on June 4.

The Netherlands approved FSD in April and supports a Europe-wide rollout.

A TRV spokesperson said its position had not changed since the April letter and remained aligned with the STA.

“It is my understanding that Sweden’s representative in TCMV will only vote in favour if Tesla’s speeding functionality is removed,” said the spokesperson.

The STA, which represents Sweden on the TCMV, said discussions within the committee were continuing and that it was still assessing Sweden’s position.

Tesla’s FSD system uses cameras and mapping data to identify speed limits.

In the United States, users can select modes including Sloth, Chill, Standard, Hurry, and Mad Max, which permit varying driving behaviours.

Those settings are unavailable in Europe, where Tesla instead offers Contextual Max Speed, which adjusts to traffic flow, and Speed Offset, allowing travel above the legal limit.

Five European countries have approved FSD to date. However, at least three Nordic nations, including Finland and Norway, have raised concerns.

Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, and Belgium have joined the Netherlands in allowing use of the technology.

An Estonian transport official said speeding remained a concern but the country approved FSD because drivers retain ultimate responsibility under the supervised system.

Denmark’s road authority similarly said responsibility for complying with speed limits rests with the driver.

Approval of the system across the European Union requires support from at least 15 member states representing a minimum 65 per cent of the bloc’s population.

Should the proposal fail, the Dutch provisional approval would expire after six months, with national approvals based upon it also withdrawn, according to the Danish road authority.

The news comes as the latest v14.3.3 FSD Supervised release arrives in selected Australian Tesla models.

Said to offer improved neural network training, faster reactions, and new parking functions, the latest software applies to the current Tesla Model Y (and elsewhere via subscription) and aims to reduce the number of driver interventions required while using FSD Supervised.

Additional improvements are said to include better responses to emergency vehicles, fewer unnecessary lane changes, enhanced operation through complex intersections and roadworks, and improved detection of small animals.

A new ‘Sloth’ Speed Profile has been added, offering lower speeds and more conservative lane selection than the existing Chill mode. Standard and Hurry profiles remain, with Tesla saying distinctions between the various modes have been increased.

The company has also renamed its ‘Navigate on Autopilot’ feature to ‘Navigate on Autosteer’, while the FSD Computer is now referred to as the AI Computer.

At the start of a drive, Brake Confirm is now disabled by default, eliminating the need for drivers to press and release the brake pedal to activate FSD.

New Arrival Options have also been introduced, allowing drivers to nominate how the vehicle completes the final stage of a trip.

Options include ‘Car Park’, ‘Indoor Car Park’, ‘Street Driveway’ and ‘Pull Over’, with the destination adjusted according to the position of the navigation pin.

Drivers can also initiate an FSD session while parked or during a journey via the centre touchscreen, where Speed Profile settings and Arrival Options can now be adjusted through updated graphics and menus.

with Automotive News Europe