The European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday that the continent’s automotive industry must focus on developing self-driving vehicles.
Speaking at the Italian Tech Week in Turin, the EU chief said artificial intelligence could strengthen the region’s automotive sector, as US and China competition grows in the segment.
“Self-driving cars are already a reality in the United States and China. The same should be true here in Europe,” von der Leyen stated.
She called on the EU to adopt an “AI first” strategy for the industry, which could also enhance auto safety.
Von der Leyen said that AI could help reduce traffic congestion, connect remote areas to public transport, and, contrary to popular beliefs, protect jobs in Europe.
The EU chief proposed creating a network of European cities to pilot autonomous vehicles, noting that 60 Italian mayors had already expressed interest.
She also promised the Union’s support for developing vehicles that are “made in Europe and designed for European streets,” adding that “the future of cars – and the cars of the future – must be made in Europe.”
Level 3 (L3) driving autonomy is legally authorized in Europe since July 2022, following the amendment of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
It allows drivers to temporarily disengage from driving on certain approved roads.
Earlier this year, the Commission stated in a Communication to other EU institutions that it will “develop, as a priority, the regulatory framework for autonomous
vehicles.”
It will start by “allowing the approval of unlimited series of vehicles with automated parking systems in 2025,” with “more use cases (e.g. hub-to-hub freight transport) in 2026” to ensure safety.
“Furthermore, the Commission will draw up refined rules to better support predeployment of ADS (automated driving systems) and ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) testing on public roads,” the document reads.
The institution will also “propose harmonised admission approval procedures” in early 2026 to facilitate “all ADAS and ADS testing on open roads across the EU.”
Most Chinese automakers feature ADAS in their vehicles. It is the case of BYD, Nio or XPeng, examples of brands currently operating in Europe.
However, given tighter regulations, the systems are not yet working to their full capacities within the continent.
Several of these companies have been collaborating with European legacy automakers to develop vehicles overseas.
XPeng, which is present in other 20 markets in the continent, that is jointly developing vehicles with German-based Volkswagen Group.
The Guangzhou-based brand said it aims to incorporate its recently launched AI Turing Chip in these models.
Volkswagen is planning to transform its approach to the automotive industry by partnering with leading software-driven electric vehicle companies, which also includes like Irvine-based Rivian.
The two brands are co-developing software to be included in the upcoming Volkswagen ID.1.
At the same time, its subsidiary Moia announced earlier this year its self-driving ID Buzz minivans — but it is for a planned robotaxi service in Los Angeles in 2026.
In the US, Tesla has developed its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, which is currently being tested in several European countries in its Supervised mode.
In the meantime, the company is publicly launching the Unsupervised one through its robotaxi service in Austin.
According to videos Tesla shared on X, the system is still “pending regulatory approval” in the continent.
Elon Musk has previously stated that the system will launch first in the Netherlands.
