Tesla’s supervised Full Self-Driving system is already available in several countries including the United States, Canada, China, Australia, and South Korea. Now, the company has secured approval in another key market: the Netherlands.
The Dutch approval makes the Netherlands the first country in Europe to allow Tesla’s FSD Supervised system on highways and city streets. However, there is one major condition: drivers must remain alert and ready to take control at all times.
That means Tesla still cannot legally market the system as fully autonomous driving without human involvement. Even with FSD activated, the driver remains fully responsible for the vehicle.
A Major Step For Tesla In Europe
The approval comes after more than 18 months of testing and evaluation by the Dutch Vehicle Authority (RDW), which said the proper use of the system could improve road safety.
Tesla sees this as an important breakthrough in Europe and hopes other European Union countries will eventually follow the Netherlands’ lead.
The company has repeatedly stated that the availability of FSD features depends on local regulations and that approval timelines can vary from one region to another.
Why This Matters For Tesla
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software plays a huge role in the company’s long-term business plans. Much of Tesla’s valuation is tied to Elon Musk’s belief that autonomous driving, AI-based software, and robotaxis will eventually become major revenue sources.
Tesla is also hoping the new approval will help boost sales in Europe, where demand has been affected by the aging design of its vehicle lineup as well as backlash against Musk’s political views.
Analysts believe the Dutch approval, along with the possibility of wider European acceptance in the future, could help Tesla attract more customers in the region.
Europe Will Still Have Stricter Rules
The Dutch authorities noted that Europe has stricter vehicle safety standards than the United States, which means the European version of Tesla’s supervised FSD system will not be identical to the one currently available in America.
Tesla says it plans to launch the feature in the Netherlands soon, where around 100,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are already eligible to receive it.
Even so, the system continues to face legal challenges and federal investigations in the US following crashes and reports of dangerous or illegal driving behavior while using FSD
