France has entered a new phase in its assessment of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, with two vehicles now undergoing road tests as authorities consider whether the advanced driver-assistance system can be authorised for use on French roads.
The move could prove significant for Tesla as European regulators move towards a broader decision on the technology. France is conducting its own assessment after the Netherlands granted provisional approval for FSD on Dutch roads earlier this year.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the government had been working with Tesla for several months on technical adjustments that could enable the system to meet French requirements.
In a post on X late Tuesday, Tabarot said he had had "a constructive exchange" with Tesla chief executive Elon Musk over the technology.
“With the provision of two vehicles equipped with FSD by Tesla, we are now entering a new phase: that of on-road testing,” he said.
The tests are intended to allow French authorities to assess how FSD performs in real-world driving conditions and determine whether the safeguards built into the system are sufficient for use on the country's roads.
FSD is an advanced driver-assistance system capable of controlling functions such as acceleration, braking and steering. However, despite its name, the technology does not make a Tesla a fully autonomous vehicle. A human driver must remain attentive and ready to take control whenever necessary.
France's independent testing is also intended to verify information and safety data supplied by Tesla and Dutch authorities.
A French Transport Ministry source said the country wanted to compare the data provided by the Netherlands and Tesla with its own findings while examining the system under French road conditions.
French officials are targeting the release of test results by mid- to late September, which would give the country more information before an expected European decision in the coming months.
The Netherlands road authority, RDW, approved Tesla's FSD system for provisional use on Dutch roads in April. That decision encouraged several other European countries—including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania—to follow suit ahead of a potential European Union-wide vote.
The timing of that vote remains subject to the regulatory process. A Transport Ministry source said it could take place as early as next month or potentially in early December.
The developments mark an important test for Tesla's ambitions to expand its driver-assistance technology across Europe, where regulators have placed particular emphasis on safety, driver attentiveness and the ability of the system to respond appropriately to local road conditions.
France had previously expressed reservations about approving the technology. In July, Tabarot said the safety trade-offs were not yet sufficient to justify authorisation, pointing specifically to concerns over speed limitations and warnings designed to ensure that drivers remain attentive.
The latest road tests suggest that French authorities are now seeking additional evidence rather than making an immediate decision on approval.
The Transport Ministry source said officials expected Tesla to remain willing to address their concerns, potentially clearing the way for the technology to receive broader European approval.
For Tesla, a positive outcome would represent a major step in expanding FSD's presence in one of the world's most tightly regulated automotive markets. For European regulators, however, the coming tests will provide another opportunity to determine whether the system's capabilities can be reconciled with the continent's stringent requirements for road safety and human oversight.