Tesla FSD in the EU: Confusion over approval date

Will drivers of a Tesla in the European Union be able to let their car drive itself starting in February 2026? A statement from the US car manufacturer over the weekend and a rebuttal from the responsible licensing authority in the Netherlands are currently causing confusion. While Elon Musk's company has already called for personally thanking the authority, the Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer, or RDW for short, has yet to clarify whether the license can be granted at all.

The issue began over the weekend with a post on X from Tesla Europe & Middle East by Tesla Europe & Middle East. The company account announced that Tesla had internally tested Full Self Driving Supervised (FSD) over a total distance of more than one million kilometers on EU roads in 17 different countries. It is now seeking an exemption for the technology from the RDW, which it allegedly promised for February 2026. For many Tesla drivers, this was a glimmer of hope, as the reaction online showed. Currently, only an Autopilot function is offered in the EU as a driving assistant, which is far behind in its capabilities what Tesla already offers in the USA, for example. Most recently, Tesla drivers in Australia and South Korea also had the function activated. Because Tesla has shifted its focus to FSD, Autopilot has not been significantly further developed recently.

No automatic approval for the rest of the EU

Tesla is pursuing the exemption route because of the current regulations that apply to autonomous driving in the EU. The company considers these to be outdated. If it were to adapt its FSD functions to them, it would make the technology unsafe and, in many cases, unusable, argues the manufacturer. Therefore, it is seeking an exemption.

From the perspective of the Dutch licensing authority, however, the story sounds different in essential parts. While it is confirmed that Tesla is in talks with the RDW to allow the "full potential for autonomous driving with supervision," the authority only speaks of a timeline according to which Tesla must first demonstrate by February 2026 that FSD Supervised meets the requirements at all. "RDW and Tesla know what measures are required to decide in February," it states rather nebulously. And whether the timeline can be met remains to be seen. For the authority, traffic safety has the highest priority.

Expressions of thanks are not helpful

The wording of the RDW's announcement: The RDW's statement also brings more clarity for Tesla drivers in other EU countries whether they will also be able to use FSD in their country if it is approved in the Netherlands. While Tesla's announcement only states that other countries could do so, suggesting an automatic process, the RDW says that the responsible EU committee must decide on this. The Dutch authority is submitting an application to the European Commission for Tesla. Only if the committee approves by a majority will the exemption also apply in all EU member states. Otherwise, the license will only be valid in the Netherlands, and the technology may only be used there. Other member states could then decide individually whether to adopt the license for their territory.

Meanwhile, the Dutch authority asks to refrain from (premature) expressions of thanks. Tesla had called for this and included a direct link in the post. "We thank everyone who has already done so and ask not to contact us about this. This unnecessarily takes up time for our customer service. Furthermore, it has no bearing on whether the plan will be implemented or not," the RDW stated.

(mki)