A recent Reuters article has sparked heated debates in the Tesla community and the European automotive industry. The report, titled "Exclusive: Tesla Submitted Misleading Full Self-Driving Safety Data to EU Regulators," claims the company shared statistics with Swedish and Dutch authorities that researchers describe as comparing "apples to oranges."
The article suggests that this data was part of Tesla's efforts to gain broader approvals for its FSD Supervised system in the European Union. According to the report, Tesla used different methodologies and driving scenarios that could exaggerate the safety benefits of the technology.
Particularly highlighted are concerns from anonymous researchers about the presentation of accident and safety statistics in regulatory discussions. The article presents these submissions as potentially influential for EU-wide recognition of the Dutch RDW's provisional type approval.
The timing of the report comes as several countries have already granted approvals or recognitions, and the EU technical committee continues to work on harmonized standards for advanced driver assistance systems.
Observers and Tesla community members contradict the portrayal of the Reuters article for several reasons:
- FSD Supervised is a driver assistance system (SAE Level 2) that requires the driver's constant attention and responsibility at all times. It is neither marketed nor approved as autonomous driving in Europe.
- The Netherlands granted the first full national type approval in April 2026 after extensive testing. Several other nations have since recognized or adopted aspects of the Dutch procedure.
- The EU continues to work on more uniform technical criteria and procedures for these systems.
- Statements from approved markets emphasize the potential safety benefits when used responsibly by the driver.
The Data Controversy
The Reuters article relies on unnamed researchers whose methodology appears questionable. For example, accident numbers from vehicles with FSD Supervised are compared to general averages without considering factors such as mileage, road type, or driver behavior. This creates a distorted picture.
Tesla itself has always emphasized that FSD Supervised is not an autonomous system and the driver must maintain full control. The data submitted by Tesla was intended to demonstrate the relative safety of the system compared to manual driving under similar conditions.
Reactions from the Community
On forums and social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), users criticize the reporting as misleading and biased. Some point out that Tesla has already published extensive safety data in other countries, such as the US, showing a reduction in accidents when Autopilot is activated.