Elon Musk: Tesla FSD Coming To Europe, Alongside Cybercab, Optimus Production

Tesla’s expansion of its self-driving car system, known as Full Self-Driving (FSD), received major updates from two new countries as CEO Elon Musk laid out future production plans for the automaker’s factory in Germany.

Tesla launched its most recent series of FSD vehicle tests in the United Arab Emirates, while it awaits pending approval in the Netherlands.

				    ↑
					X

This video file cannot be played.(Error Code: 102630)

								Elon Musk Sees Robots And Robotaxis As Tesla's Future. Can He Deliver?
							

							

								See All Videos
							

						

					
					
						NOW PLAYING
						Elon Musk Sees Robots And Robotaxis As Tesla's Future. Can He Deliver?

On Thursday, Abu Dhabi officials announced Tesla’s Advanced Self-Driving platform began road trials in the Emirati capital. A day later, CEO Elon Musk said he’d been told by regulators that Tesla’s FSD software would be available in the Netherlands on March 20, according to an interview with Tesla senior director Andre Thierig posted to a Tesla X account.

The two announcements underscore Tesla’s ongoing push to shift focus to autonomous vehicles (AV), as opposed to just strictly car sales.

Best IBD 50 Stocks To Watch

Tesla stock dipped more than 2% on Friday, continuing to slip below its 21-day exponential moving average, according to MarketSurge. Musk once again advised investors to “hold on to your Tesla stock. It’s going to be worth a lot,” in his recent interview.

Shares are down around 11% year to date. They’ve fallen 20% since hitting a high of 498.83 on Dec. 22.

FSD In Europe and UAE

The latest updates are part of Tesla’s continued push to roll out FSD in new countries.

The Abu Dhabi pilot will be overseen by the UAE’s Smart and Autonomous Systems Council and Integrated Transport Centre, under the country’s transportation department, according to an X post. The UAE’s test marks the first trials of Tesla FSD in the Middle East.

The UAE has allowed Chinese AVs developed by the company WeRide to run robotaxi services. WeRide operates in partnership with Uber. However, Tesla’s pilot is for self-driving systems in personal vehicles, rather than robotaxis. Though, it stands to reason the latter could follow.

AI Stocks: Tech Giants, Cloud Titans Face ‘Show Me’ Moment

In Europe, Tesla is working with a number of countries including France, Italy, Spain, and Germany to test FSD. If the timeline in Musk’s comments about next month’s rollout in the Netherlands holds true, it would mean the first time FSD was available in Europe.

Additionally, approval in the Netherlands could set in motion a domino effect for the rest of the EU. Other EU member states would be able to expedite their own approval of the technology by citing the Netherlands’ decision. Doing so would allow individual countries to decide whether to allow FSD, rather than having to wait for an overarching EU-wide decision.

That said, Musk often provides ambitious timelines for projects that Tesla does not meet.

Autonomous Driving Future

Musk has repeatedly stated that the future of Tesla lies in self-driving cars and other real-world applications of AI systems, such as its Optimus line of humanoid robots.

The path of “electric, autonomous to me has been blindly obvious for twenty years plus,” Musk said in his interview with Tesla director Theirig, who oversees manufacturing at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Berlin.

IBD Newsletters

Get exclusive IBD analysis and actionable news daily.

		SIGN UP NOW!

IBD Newsletters

Get exclusive IBD analysis and actionable news daily.

										*   							
								How To Invest								
								
							
						
										*   							
								Market Prep								
								
							
						
										*   							
								Tech Report								

Please enter a valid email address

Please select a newsletter

			GO

Get these newsletters delivered to your inbox & more info about our products & services. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

		x

Thank You!

You will now receive IBD Newsletters

			ALL DONE!

Something Went Wrong!

Please contact customer service

			CLOSE

Musk added that the Berlin factory could eventually produce the fully autonomous Tesla Cybercab, which is designed for its nascent robotaxi service, and Optimus robots, once their production scales up.

In addition to self-driving tech in private cars, Tesla is also working on a robotaxi program. Last year, Tesla started a pilot of the service in Austin, Texas. Further rollouts are planned for Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Las Vegas for the first half of this year, according to Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings release.

Tesla German Union Vote

Tesla’s Berlin factory is gearing up for a vote that would see its employees join the powerful German union IG Metall. The union and Tesla had gone back and forth in recent weeks, with each accusing the other of improper behavior in the lead up to the vote. The two sides reached a truce, agreeing to hold off on further comments until the vote.

Musk reiterated his call for Tesla employees to not join a union.

“Things certainly get harder if there are outside organizations pushing Tesla in the wrong direction,” Musk said. “I mean we’re not going to shut down the factory, but we’re not going to expand it either, realistically.”

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Get Full Access To IBD Stock Lists And Ratings

Why This IBD Tool Simplifies The Search For Top Stocks

IBD Digital: Unlock IBD’s Premium Lists, Tools And Analysis Today

How To Invest: Rules For When To Buy And Sell In Bull And Bear Markets

Nvidia Sees ‘Hundreds Of Billions’ In Future Robotaxi Revenue