Dutch Regulator Pushes for EU-Wide Approval of Tesla's Self-Driving Software

First European Approval for Tesla FSD

Tesla cleared a historic regulatory milestone on the tenth of April when the Dutch vehicle authority RDW granted the first-ever European type approval for its Full Self-Driving Supervised software. The approval followed more than eighteen months of rigorous testing that included over one point six million kilometres of driving on European roads, four thousand five hundred closed-track tests, and thirteen thousand customer ride-along evaluations.

Not Autonomous, But a Major Step

The RDW stressed that FSD Supervised is a driver assistance system, not an autonomous vehicle. Drivers remain legally responsible and must maintain continuous awareness of the road at all times. Eye-tracking cameras monitor driver attention, and a sequence of visual, audio, and haptic alerts is triggered if the driver looks away or becomes inattentive. If the driver fails to respond, the system disables itself and returns control.

Push for EU-Wide Recognition

On Monday, the RDW confirmed it has formally notified the European Commission of its plan to pursue EU-level clearance. Bernd van Nieuwenhoven, general manager of type approvals at RDW, told reporters that if it is good enough for the Netherlands, it is good enough for Europe. The European Commission is expected to hear the Dutch case at a technical committee meeting in May. If test results are deemed satisfactory and a majority of member states vote in favour, an implementing act could authorise an EU-wide rollout.

Timeline and Pricing

The approval covers version twenty twenty-six point three point six of Tesla's FSD Supervised software under UN Regulation one hundred and seventy-one. Dutch Tesla owners can subscribe at ninety-nine euros per month or purchase a one-time licence for seven thousand five hundred euros. Tesla expects Germany, France, and Italy to grant national recognitions within four to eight weeks, with full EU-wide availability targeted for summer twenty twenty-six. However, that timeline remains Tesla's projection rather than a confirmed regulatory outcome.