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Tesla Starts FSD (Supervised) Demo Rides in Germany as Safety Clips and Regulator Pushback Intensify Scrutiny

European approval remains pending despite supervised public demonstrations.

Overview

  • Tesla began supervised demonstration rides on 1 December in German cities including Berlin, Munich, Köln and Hamburg, with bookings via its website and employees at the wheel while visitors ride as passengers.
  • The Dutch vehicle authority RDW stated there is no commitment to a near-term approval, countering Tesla's suggested timeline for a European rollout.
  • Multiple U.S. videos show abrupt braking for swirling leaves, including a clip shared by critic Dan O'Dowd in which a car stopped for leaves and then crossed a double yellow line while avoiding the perceived obstacle.
  • The system uses a camera-only vision approach without lidar, a design choice central to ongoing debates over its reliability in complex real-world conditions.
  • A German ride-along in Hamburg described largely smooth behavior over a 12.4 km route with one discretionary human intervention, highlighting that the feature remains under supervision.