The vision of automated driving at Tesla in Europe has made a significant jump. System-Initiated Maneuvers (SIM) have been formally accepted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), where cars are capable of performing actions that change lanes on highways without requiring direct driver operation. Such an innovation is initially applicable to the Tesla Enhanced Autopilot package but may soon pave the way to broader implementation of Full Self-Driving Supervised in Europe.
So far, European regulations have been very strict on what driver-assist systems are allowed to do. In Europe, the Tesla owners on Autopilot had to confirm any lane change with the steering stalk or by nudging the wheel. This reduced the adoption of high-level features, which were already prevalent in markets such as the U.S.
System-Initiated Maneuvers changes that, with the approval of UNECE. It is the first time in history that cars equipped with approved technology will be able to make autonomous decisions and adjust their position in highway lanes without direct driver input, provided the driver is attentive and ready to take control.
UNECE – SIM on highways now allowed
There is a new version of the DCAS regulation (UNR 171) in force from today which for the first time allows SIM although only on highways.This comes in as part of the 01 series of amendments to UNR 171 which was approved by the GRVA last… pic.twitter.com/19OaIZm8nC
— Andrew Seyes (@seyesdotcom) September 26, 2025
Such regulatory change is an indicator of increased confidence in automated driving technology and the precursor to increased use of supervised autonomy throughout Europe.
What It Means for Tesla Drivers
To Tesla owners who have Enhanced Autopilot, it will result in a more natural and smoother driving experience on the highway. The car will be capable of detecting traffic congestion ahead, inspecting the presence of a gap in neighboring lanes, and performing a safe lane change without requiring the vehicle operator to touch the steering wheel.
This brings the European Tesla functionality more up to the level that U.S. drivers have been experiencing over the years. It also removes one of the biggest frustrations of European drivers using Autopilot, the constant necessity to verify every maneuver.
Paving the Road for FSD (Supervised)
This is, perhaps, the most exciting implication as far as the ESL FSD (Supervised) package is concerned. The UNECE ruling eliminates a significant obstacle that has so far prevented the approval of Tesla with the most developed software package in Europe.
FSD (Supervised) extends the functions of lane-changing with new facilities like highway autonomous navigation, city streets driving, intersection management, and high-tech monitoring of the driver. With SIM granted, Tesla stands in a better position to counter-argue to European authorities to broaden FSD access to a wider scope than the limited-function or geofenced trials of the service that the company currently operates.
When these regulations are implemented by the UNECE member states, the European Tesla drivers will be able to enjoy almost the same privileges as their counterparts in North America with regard to supervised self-driving capabilities.
