Update, August 18, 2026: This Eifel project is still a Supervised shuttle, not German consumer FSD on public roads. Tesery’s Giga Berlin factory-mile story is the other Germany track: campus roads, not a Bürgerbus. Later EU approvals (Netherlands, Estonia, Lithuania) are separate country files. Do not treat Bitburg-Prüm as “FSD is legal for every German Model Y.”
On December 26, 2025, Tesla Europe posted that in the German district of Bitburg-Prüm (Eifel, Rhineland-Palatinate) it is offering rides with FSD (Supervised) to citizens who have no other means of transport, free of charge. The state’s transport ministry called it a pilot that complements local community buses and said it was the first project of its kind in Europe. Arzfeld Mayor Johannes Kuhl and District Administrator Andreas Kruppert rode along and praised how it handled rural roads.
The software name on Tesla’s post is Supervised. Someone is still responsible in the car. This is not an empty Robotaxi and not a Germany-wide FSD software unlock.
Key facts
- Where: Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, Rhineland-Palatinate — rural roads, not Berlin or the Autobahn as a product launch.
- Who posted it: Tesla Europe on X, December 26, 2025.
- Who rode: Mayor Johannes Kuhl (Arzfeld) and District Administrator Andreas Kruppert.
- What Tesla said: Free FSD Supervised rides for people without other transport.
- What it is not: Unsupervised FSD, a national type approval for owners, or a replacement for every Bürgerbus volunteer.
In the German district of Bitburg-Pruem, we’re offering rides w/ FSD Supervised to citizens with no other means of transport, free of charge
— Tesla Europe (@teslaeurope) December 26, 2025
Open Tesla Europe’s original X post.
What the officials actually said
Kruppert: autonomous driving sounds like science fiction to many, “but we simply see here that it works totally well in rural regions too.” Kuhl: it “feels like a very experienced driver.” Those are ride impressions on winding Eifel lanes. They are not a KBA (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) approval letter for unsupervised driving.
The ministry framed the service as a complement to the existing citizen-bus (Bürgerbus) model — volunteer or community buses that already fill rural gaps. Tesla Automation / local partners later described Model Ys from Giga Berlin. A later 2026 write-up said the pilot had expanded to students and seniors. Treat expansion as a later fact, not something proven on December 26.
Germany vs this one district
Tesla has also run FSD Supervised ride-alongs in German cities (Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and others) as passenger demos. Ride-along ≠ you can buy FSD and use it unsupervised on German public roads. Estonia and Lithuania later approved Supervised FSD for owners; that is a different legal path from a district shuttle. Tesery’s Estonia approval note is that track.
FAQ
Can any German Tesla owner turn on FSD because of this shuttle?
No. This is a local, supervised passenger service Tesla described as free for people without other transport.
Is the shuttle driverless?
Tesla’s post says FSD Supervised. Assume a responsible person is in the loop unless Tesla publishes a driverless permit.
Is this Europe’s first robotaxi?
The ministry called it the first project of its kind in Europe for this shuttle setup. Waymo-style driverless taxis in other countries are a different product.
For owners: a free Eifel shuttle does not change Autopilot on your German-registered car. Check Tesla’s current EU FSD page for what is actually sold in your market.
Featured photo: a 2025 Tesla Model Y (file photo of the Giga Berlin type used in the Eifel shuttle). Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Related: Giga Berlin factory FSD miles vs public-road approval · Estonia approves FSD Supervised · Lithuania FSD Supervised · FSD fleet miles snapshot, Dec. 2025
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