Tesla FSD Supervised Shuttle Pilot Launches in Germany’s Eifel Region
Earlier this year Tesla began operating a public shuttle service using FSD (Supervised) in the rural Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The project is the first of its kind in Europe and is providing real-world experience with supervised autonomous vehicles in a public transport setting.
Government Announcement and Support
The pilot was officially announced by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The ministry highlighted the importance of the initiative for improving mobility in rural areas.
“Reliable and flexible mobility is especially vital in rural areas. With the launch of a shuttle service using self-driving vehicles (FSD supervised) by Tesla in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, an innovative pilot project is now getting underway that complements local community bus services. It is the first project of its kind in Europe.”
— Ministry for Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture of Rhineland-Palatinate
The service is supported by local government bodies, including the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm district administration and the municipality of Arzfeld. It offers rides to residents, with priority for those who have limited access to other forms of transport.
The Pilot in Practice
The shuttles operate using Tesla vehicles running FSD Supervised technology. During the pilot phase, the service is free for users and is intended to supplement existing community bus routes in the region.
Early reports indicate positive feedback from participants, including students and seniors who benefit from the convenient, on-demand transport option in the sparsely populated Eifel area.
Regulatory Context
The project is being conducted under the supervised FSD framework. While the initiative is led at the state level, it contributes data that may support broader discussions at the federal level with the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority.
As one of the first public deployments of supervised autonomous shuttles in Europe, the Eifel pilot is being closely watched by other regions interested in similar mobility solutions.