Tesla announced that the Dutch regulator RDW has committed to approving its Full Self-Driving software in February 2026, but the agency quickly clarified that only a demonstration is scheduled. This discrepancy highlights ongoing tensions in Europe's strict regulatory environment for autonomous driving features. The development could impact Tesla's plans to expand FSD across the European Union.
Tesla sparked excitement over the weekend with a social media post from its Europe and Middle East account on X, claiming that the Netherlands' vehicle authority, RDW, "has committed to granting Netherlands National approval in February 2026." The company urged followers to contact RDW to "express your excitement & thank them for making this happen as soon as possible." This national approval would be a key step toward rolling out Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised across Europe via exemptions recognized by other EU member states.
However, RDW issued a statement disputing Tesla's assertion. The regulator explained that it has established a schedule with Tesla for the company to demonstrate FSD Supervised in February 2026. "RDW and Tesla know what efforts need to be made to make a decision on this in February. Whether the schedule will be met remains to be seen in the coming period. For the RDW, (traffic) safety is paramount," the statement read. RDW also discouraged public contact, noting it would not influence the process and would burden customer service.
FSD Supervised, an $8,000 upgrade from the standard Autopilot system, enables automated steering and lane changes on highways and surface streets but requires drivers to remain engaged with hands on the wheel. Currently available in seven countries—Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and the United States—FSD has faced delays in Europe due to stringent regulations. Tesla has conducted over 1 million kilometers of internal testing across 17 European countries to demonstrate safety, though past timelines for European rollout, such as summer 2022 and early 2025, have not materialized.
The disagreement underscores Europe's cautious approach to advanced driver assistance systems, prioritizing rigorous validation over rapid deployment.
