Tesla will now leverage its fleet of vehicles to help locate rough road segments or non-paved roads.
Although the entire fleet will be contributing, the first vehicles to take advantage of this information will be Tesla’s Model X and Model S vehicles with an adaptive air suspension.
Many Tesla owners have requested that their vehicles learn and adapt to rough roads.
CEO Elon Musk has stated that adaptive air suspension will remain a luxury feature and will stay exclusive to the Model S and Model X, although it's possible other vehicles in the future can take advantage of knowing the location of rough road segments by either slowing down or avoiding potholes.
In November 2020, @JohnEG78 tweeted to Musk stating, “I would like voice commands for air suspension ride height.”
Musk responded, “Ok. Overall air suspension height & dampening algorithm is getting a lot of attention. Will be linked to FSD, so [it] acts automatically.”
Ok. Overall air suspension height & damping algorithm is getting a lot of attention. Will be linked to FSD, so acts automatically.
Update 2022.20 has just started going out to select vehicles and one of the key features in the update is "Tesla Adaptive Suspension."
This feature will let your Tesla with an adaptive suspension automatically lower or raise depending on the type of road. So if you're driving and encounter a gravel or dirt road your vehicle will now automatically adjust its suspension for a smoother ride.
As Tesla ramps up their FSD rollout, the amount of real-world data that Tesla has collected is most likely more than any other automotive company.
Tesla can use this data gathered by the Tesla fleet to automatically adjust the ride height.
If more data is needed or something is inaccurate, a button on the screen or voice command would be a nice addition to report it to Tesla, similar to Tesla's FSD Beta report button.
While we don't have pothole detection and avoidance just yet this could be the start of such a feature.
“Tesla Adaptive Suspension will now adjust ride height for an upcoming rough road section. This adjustment may occur at various locations, subject to availability, as the vehicle downloads rough road map data generated by Tesla cars. The instrument cluster will continue to indicate when the suspension is raised for comfort. To enable this feature, tap Controls > Suspension > Adaptive Suspension Damping, and select the Comfort or Auto setting.”
While potholes may be more difficult for the vehicle to detect, having a built-in system similar to Waze where users can report where the pothole is could be useful. With Waze, users can report a number of issues on the road, including police presence, objects on the road, construction, accidents, and more.
If a pothole is repaired, Tesla could utilize indicators that compare the amount of times the pothole is being reported by the driver or vehicle to before it was repaired. If there are no reports of that pothole in the road anymore, Tesla’s AI could mark that pothole as repaired and remove it from the notification system or adaptive air suspension.
Adjusting Tesla's Air Suspension
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The road to bringing FSD to Europe has been a long and complex one and filled with regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles. Elon Musk, as well as other members of Tesla’s AI team, have previously voiced their grievances with the regulatory approval process on X.
However, it appears that there is finally some progress in getting things moving with recent changes to upcoming autonomy regulations, but the process still seems slow.
Waiting on the Dutch
Elon commented on X recently, stating that Tesla is waiting for approval from Dutch authorities and then the EU to start rolling out FSD in Europe. Tesla is focusing on acquiring approvals from the Dutch transportation authority, which will provide them with the platform they need to gain broader acceptance in Europe. Outside of the Netherlands, Tesla is also conducting testing in Norway, which provides a couple of avenues for them to obtain national-level approval.
The frustration has been ongoing, with multiple committee meetings bringing up autonomy regulation but always pulling back at the last second before approving anything. The last meeting on Regulation 157, which governs Automated Lane Keeping Systems, concluded with authorities from the UK and Spain requesting additional time to analyze the data before reaching a conclusion.
Tesla, as well as Elon, have motioned several times for owners to reach out to their elected representatives to move the process forward, as it seems that Tesla’s own efforts are being stymied.
This can seem odd, especially since Tesla has previously demoed FSD working exceptionally smoothly on European roads - and just did it again in Rome when they shared the video below on X.
— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) June 12, 2025
DCAS Phase 3
While the approval process has been slow, Kees Roelandschap pointed out that there may be a different regulatory step that could allow FSD to gain a foothold in Europe.
According to Kees, the European Commission is now taking a new approach to approving ADAS systems under the new DCAS Phase 3 regulations. The Commission is now seeking data from systems currently operational in the United States that can perform System-Initiated Maneuvers and don’t require hands-on intervention for every request.
This is key because those are two of the core functionalities that make FSD so usable, and it also means that there may not be a need to wait years for proper regulations to be written from scratch. Now, the Commission will be looking at real-world data based on existing, deployed technology, which could speed up the process immensely.
What This Means
This new, data-driven regulatory approach could be the path for Tesla to reach its previous target of September for European FSD. While the cogs of bureaucracy are ever slow, sometimes all it takes is a little data to have them turn a bit faster in this case.
Alongside specific countries granting approval for limited field testing with employees, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for FSD in Europe, and hopes are that a release will occur by the end of 2025. With Europe now looking to North America for how FSD is performing, Tesla’s Robotaxi results could also play a role.
Tesla’s marketing has always been relatively unconventional, relying on word-of-mouth rather than traditional advertising. The passion of the owner’s community is always massive, but it is especially high now with the launch of the Robotaxi network just around the corner.
Tesla is now tapping into that spring of fan creativity and announced the TeslaVision video contest, with some seriously impressive prizes up for grabs.
Announcing the TeslaVision fan video showcase
Tesla owners & supporters have always been able to see our products & mission for what they truly are.
Your word of mouth has made Tesla what it is today.
The OGs will remember that in 2017, we held our first video contest. 8 years… pic.twitter.com/6pPpkqmqOH
The core of the contest is simple. Create a video that shows how your Tesla gives you more in life. Tesla is looking for submissions that highlight themes of freedom, safety, fun, and convenience.
Prizes
The prizes definitely make this contest worth entering if you’re good with a camera and have some basic video editing abilities.
For North America, the prizes include a brand new Model Y AWD Long Range, alongside an all-expenses-paid trip to Austin for a tour of Giga Texas. The grand prize winner will also be able to custom order their Model Y, allowing them to select their preferred wheels and color.
The two runners-up won’t get a Model Y, but they’ll also enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Giga Texas for a tour of the factory.
The travel and tour include lodging in Austin for 2 nights, as well as economy-class round-trip tickets from anywhere in North America. Tesla will also provide a vehicle for use during the trip.
For long-time followers of Tesla, this contest may feel familiar. The contest is a direct throwback to the 2017 Project Loveday contest, which was inspired by a letter to Tesla from a 10-year-old aspiring marketer. That contest was won by MKBHD, with his submission below:
How to Enter
If you’re ready to start filming, here are the key pieces of information you’ll need to know:
Video must be 90 seconds or less
Video must be uploaded to YouTube with a public URL
Make a post on X and Instagram tagging “@Tesla” and include the words “TeslaVision contest” in the post.
Provide links to both social media posts in your submission to Tesla’s form
Provide your personal details in the form
You have until July 17th, 2025, or until Tesla receives 10,000 entries, whichever comes first.