KBA refers to action against the tesla beta test as in the US> teslamag.de

With the official opening of its Gigafactory in Grünheide near Berlin, Tesla is now also a German automaker – around the same time the Federal Automobile Transport Authority (KBA) announced that the company will have to take a closer look at its software updates in the future. Among other things, the head of the authority said in an interview the day before the launch of the Gigafactory that it would not accept the start of a pilot test of Tesla’s autopilot system only for selected testers, as is the case in the USA.

KBA chief threatens ban on Tesla

In the United States, beta testing has been conducted using an autopilot program known as FSD since the fall of 2020. It appears that the first participants were selected individually. Since September 2021, you can also qualify using the security score (see image) that was introduced specifically for this purpose. end of january Tesla called the number of nearly 60,000 beta testers. The next country to receive the FSD program is Canada. This is what CEO Elon Musk confirmed this week On the day of delivery of the first German model Y in Gruenheide. He also took the opportunity to say that beta testing should start in the European Union this year – if regulators allow it.

According to reports from other media, this does not appear to be the case, at least in Germany, as revealed by KBA President Richard Dam in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung a day before the delivery. Regarding testers choosing to use the degree of safety, he said the automation system must be so safe and robust that it works regardless of the skill of the driver. If not, then the question arises whether this measure is desirable in road traffic. One can imagine the answer to this golem.de . quotes From the SZ interview.

Tesla does not currently receive its approvals for Germany from the KBA, but for the entire European Union region from the Dutch authority RDW. But as President Dam said according to SZ’s golem.de, the German office wants to be informed at least in the future more accurately about other software updates from Tesla. So far, this exchange with the company is said to have proven difficult, but the Kyle-Benjaman law has leverage: Without information from the manufacturer, the authority cannot rule out that the system is violating the rules, Dam explained. And as possible consequences, specify a fine and, in extreme cases, a ban on the operation.

Even autopilot today is not allowed?

In his previous appearance on Grünheide’s Gigafactory last October, Tesla CEO Musk said that We hope that Europe will have the FSD program in 2022And not just as a trial version. On Tuesday’s delivery day, he was more cautious: Musk said the move to Europe was technically difficult because there are many subtle differences in traffic rules and design from country to country. On the other hand, the European Union differs in that, unlike the USA, Tesla has to obtain approval for an FSD test in advance.

It is “pending regulatory approval,” Musk said, and may start later this year. But if Tesla takes the road via RDW and doesn’t answer questions from the KBA, the pilot could at least be banned again in Germany. Because at the end of February, it was reported that the German authorities already consider the lane-changing function of the current autopilot system illegal and are communicating with RDW in the Netherlands and Tesla.