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France blocks Tesla FSD approval

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-06 10:42 UTC → 2026-08-10 03:31 UTC · added removed

France’s transport ministry has upheld its refusal to permit Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving (FSD) system on public roads. After the initial denial on 22 July 2026, the government reiterated its concerns on 24 July, citing the system’s tendency to exceed speed limits by up to 50 % 50% and inadequate driver‑attention monitoring. The stance was echoed again on 27 July, when Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot publicly rejected the provisional EU approval that had already been granted in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania, warning the software could travel at 70 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded on X that the delay “costs lives”. The French rejection, while unable to block an EU‑wide decision, sparked debate among EU regulators and prompted Finland’s Traficom to review a possible national endorsement. On 6 August 2026, Reuters obtained email correspondence showing obtained by Reuters revealed that Tesla pressed the Dutch vehicle authority (RDW) to keep the safety‑assessment data for its FSD system safety-assessment data confidential, invoking trade‑secret protections. While the RDW had has approved the system earlier but did following testing on closed tracks and public roads, it has not disclose the disclosed its specific testing methodology. methodology or measurement data. By 9 August, scrutiny intensified as European road safety experts warned that the criticized this lack of transparency could endanger transparency, arguing that official test results are a matter of significant public safety interest. Meanwhile, regulatory reviews expanded: Finland's Traficom began evaluating system performance on steep and could influence winding roads, and Norwegian authorities noted that their data review did not align with the broader EU discussion, including France’s ongoing objections. favorable safety statistics published by Tesla.

Versions

  1. 2026-08-10 03:31 UTC France blocks Tesla FSD approval
  2. 2026-08-06 10:42 UTC France blocks Tesla FSD approval
  3. 2026-07-27 10:21 UTC France blocks Tesla FSD approval

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