Tesla's European FSD Vote Is On Hold

Happy Monday! It's September 28, 2026, and this is The Morning Shift — your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. This is where you'll find the most important stories that are shaping the way Americans drive and get around.

In this morning's edition, we're looking at the EU pushing back its Tesla FSD vote, as well as a new golden era for minivans. We'll also look at Chinese car sales in Europe, and analyst predictions for Ford and GM. 

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Tesla has been desperately trying to get its FSD software approved in Europe, since CEO Elon Musk declared that cars were boring and the future of the company was in robotics and autonomy — putting the car company in a bit of a tough spot in markets where its autonomy still isn't approved. Tesla had hoped to get FSD approved in Europe next month, but now it's looking like things could take until the end of the year. From Automotive News: 

STOCKHOLM — An expected European Union vote on allowing Tesla's supervised Full Self-Driving system across the bloc has been delayed from October, with the next apparent opportunity for a decision not before December, according to an EU agenda.

The EU's Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles (TCMV), which brings together representatives of EU member states and the European Commission, is due to discuss the request at its Oct. 6 meeting. The agenda lists a "continuation of discussions" on a Dutch request for an Article 39 authorization, with 25 minutes allocated to the discussion, rather than a vote.

Tesla's data around FSD in Europe has been wonky, so it's possible that this change from a vote to a discussion is meant to allow more time for more reliable data to come in. Or, it's possible this is entirely a scheduling thing and we shouldn't read too much into it. 

Minivans are back, baby! Sales have been climbing year after year, but now the economy and the high cost of fuel are pushing Americans out of our hulking seven-seat SUVs — and into the plush practicality of the minivan. From Bloomberg:

The much-maligned minivan is having a renaissance, as prices for both gas and swanky SUVs are near historic highs. For new parents in their 20s and 30s, who were shuttled to school at the height of the sport utility boom, vans are novel. They carry little of the suburban stigma that tanked sales after their 2000 peak. Meanwhile, empty nesters are embracing van life for its affordable practicality. Minivans offer roughly the same utility and amenities as an SUV at about three-fifths the price: They're about $31,400 cheaper on average.

I'm personally pro-vans, having road tripped in them on multiple occasions and loved it each time. They're practical, they're comfortable, they offer all sorts of interior amenities. What scares me, though, is the other reason I like vans: I can sleep in them. Are we in such a precarious economic spot that people are basing their vehicle purchases on the possibility of homelessness? 

Chinese cars are pouring into Europe, and customers are loving it. UBS, an investment bank, is less into the whole idea — probably because it doesn't stand to make any money on the new sales. For customers, though, it seems things will get better before they get worse. From Automotive News: 

Chinese vehicle exports to Europe are running at nearly double the rate of registrations, with logistics bottlenecks masking the true scale of shipments, investment bank UBS said.

The influx will likely translate into higher registrations later this year, increasing pressure on European policymakers to address the cost gap between imported Chinese electrified cars and vehicles built in Europe.

UBS estimates the current pace would translate to about 20 percent annual market share for Chinese brands, compared with nearly 10 percent through August.

"We think there is still a lack of urgency on the EU side," UBS analyst Patrick Hummel said during a media briefing on Sept. 25. "The issue is more pressing than many people involved in the policymaking process understand."

"The issue" is "pressing" — the "issue" being affordable cars that customers want to buy. Yeah, big problem, I can see why you'd want to nip that in the bud as fast as possible. 

The war on Iran has hiked the cost of gas, and that's hitting automakers without a broad slate of EVs and hybrids hardest — automakers like GM and Ford, which analysts are saying will be this year's big losers in the automotive realm. From Reuters: 

Sept 24 (Reuters) – General Motors and Ford Motor have lost more market share in the United States than any other automakers ‌so far this year as buyers prioritize fuel efficiency amid high gas prices, an industry forecast shows.

Ford's vehicle sales are expected to drop 8.8% through the first three quarters of the year, according to a forecast released Thursday from Cox Automotive. That would knock Ford's market share down ​nearly a full percentage point, to 12.5%.

GM's US vehicle sales pace also is trailing the broader industry, expected to ​decline 6.2% year-to-date through September 30, Cox projects. The firm estimates GM will finish the quarter ⁠with a 16.7% market share, down from 17.4% a year earlier.

And this is all before Chinese automakers start building cars in the States with the full blessing of President Trump. Somehow I can't imagine that'll help things for the U.S. stalwarts. 

Now you've got LeBron doing ads for DraftKings and Polymarket. How times change. 

Do we think Trump is into prices ending in a 47? He's big on working that number in everywhere he can. 

I just saw "Primetime" last night, and the "London Bridge" needledrop — the original, not the Laura Les remix featured here — really sets the stage for how nostalgic the movie feels. The post-9/11 era may not have been good, but it sure was my childhood. Also just an incredible film, highly recommend.