Tesla has become the first carmaker to receive European regulatory approval for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised software, after Dutch road authority RDW cleared the system for use on highways and city streets in the Netherlands.
The approval covers steering, braking and acceleration capabilities under required human supervision, and follows more than 18 months of testing and analysis by RDW.
The Dutch regulator said the technology "makes a positive contribution to road safety," while noting that the EU version of the system differs materially from its US counterpart.
RDW has indicated it will submit an application to the European Commission for bloc-wide authorisation, a process that requires a committee majority to take effect, though individual member states could still permit the software if an EU-wide vote fails.
Tesla said it would begin rolling out FSD Supervised in the Netherlands shortly, adding in a post on social media platform X that it expects to bring the feature to more European countries soon.
Around 100,000 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the Netherlands are eligible for the software, making the country a significant initial market; Tesla is the most popular car brand there by volume.
Analysts said they expect the Dutch approval and subsequent clearances from other European regulators to drive improved sales across the continent as consumers seek to try the technology.
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The development is significant for Tesla beyond the Netherlands, as the company has positioned self-driving software as a central pillar of its growth strategy and a key justification for its roughly $1 trillion market valuation and robotaxi ambitions.
In the US, FSD Supervised is available by subscription but has attracted consumer lawsuits and federal investigations following reports of crashes and traffic violations.
The recap
- Dutch regulator approved Tesla's Full Self‑Driving Supervised software.
- Approval followed more than 18 months of RDW testing.
- RDW will apply for EU-wide authentication at the Commission.