EVwire brief: A pilot program in Germany's Eifel region is using Tesla vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software to transport students and senior citizens across rural communities where public transit options are limited.
The project involves the municipality of Arzfeld, the Bitburg-Prüm district, and Tesla Automation, and is believed to be the first shuttle initiative in Europe to operate Tesla FSD Supervised in real-world passenger transport.
Two Tesla Model Y vehicles built at Giga Berlin-Brandenburg are currently in service, running routes free of charge. Trainee electronics technician Lukas Müller summed up the passenger experience after his first ride:
"I think the ride is great. It's so relaxing. I feel safer than if I were driving myself."
Hat tip to Tesla community member @EFIEBER_ANDRE for sharing this story on X:
Context:
The roughly 40-kilometer test route runs along winding country roads, through roundabouts, and past construction sites. A human safety driver remains behind the wheel at all times, though interventions have been rare. The most notable instance was when the vehicle attempted to turn around in a tight dead-end parking space.
Passengers report a familiar adjustment curve. Trainee industrial clerk Emilia Fuchs described her experience: "At first I found it a bit strange, but after a few minutes, when I saw it was working, I felt much more at ease."
The Tesla Model Ys used in the Eifel pilot were produced at Giga Berlin
The project has been running since December and is already expanding. Shuttles will increase from two days a week to five, with the program scaling into a broader regional testing initiative covering roughly half a million residents across multiple districts.
Senior citizens have become some of the program's most enthusiastic users, regularly requesting rides to pharmacies, doctor appointments, and shopping trips from even the smallest farms in the region, as per Mayor Johannes Kuhl (CDU).
Seniors have become fond of using the Teslas for their rides to pharmacies, doctor appointments, and shopping trips
FSD Supervised is surprisingly popular among seniors
Bitburg-Prüm district administrator Andreas Kruppert says the rural setting is exactly where autonomous driving makes the most sense.
"We see autonomous driving as a huge opportunity, especially for rural areas," Kruppert said. "We always have long distances to cover."
Arzfeld Mayor Johannes Kuhl echoed the sentiment, adding that senior uptake surprised even local officials who had braced for skepticism.
Many are enthusiastic and use the service regularly. These days, when people inquire, they explicitly ask if the Tesla can come.
Kuhl himself is already looking forward to what full autonomy could eventually mean, reaching for a familiar cultural reference to make the point: "I would get in the car and, like in the old TV series Knight Rider, say to the car: 'KITT, drive me!'"
Source: Sol.de
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