Finland approves Tesla assisted driving cars ahead of EU vote

Tesla has received temporary approval to use its Assisted Driving system (TAD) on Finnish roads after making changes to the technology.Finland's Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) announced the decision on Wednesday, saying Tesla "can immediately start offering the system to its customers in Finland."The technology allows cars to steer, accelerate and brake automatically, although drivers must remain in control and supervise its operation.The system was renamed Tesla Assisted Driving from Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised to better describe what it does.According to Traficom's Senior Specialist Jukka Juhola, the new name reflects the "true nature of the system" and distinguishes driver assistance technology from fully autonomous vehicles.The approval comes as Europe continues to face regulatory challenges over automated driving technology.The EU is stuck at a gridlock over rules that would permit driverless cars, prompting many firms to push ahead at regional and national level.Yet differing national rules have complicated the roll-out of fully driverless vehicles, with companies having to seek approval from local and regional authorities in addition to national ones.In Europe, the Netherlands authorised the system's use in April, followed by Estonia, Belgium, Lithuania and Denmark.Tesla already offers the technology in the United States, Australia, Canada and South Korea.