The Netherlands has become the first country in Europe to officially approve Tesla’s supervised Full Self Driving system, marking a significant moment for the company’s ambitions on the continent.
After more than a year and a half of testing, Dutch vehicle authority RDW gave the green light, allowing the technology to be used on public roads. With Tesla’s European headquarters based in Amsterdam, the decision feels like a natural starting point for what could expand across the European Union in the near future.
According to the RDW, properly used driver assistance systems can improve road safety by supporting drivers rather than replacing them. The agency emphasized that Tesla’s system includes continuous monitoring of the person behind the wheel, which it believes makes it safer compared to other similar technologies. The approval highlights a key point regulators continue to stress: the system is designed to assist, not take over completely.
The rollout has already begun, though only a small group of users currently has access to the latest update. Before drivers can activate the feature, they must go through a tutorial and complete a quiz, reinforcing the idea that the car is not fully autonomous and that attention is still required at all times. Tesla appears to be leaning heavily into this messaging to avoid misuse and overconfidence.
This development comes at a complicated time for Tesla’s self-driving efforts globally. In the United States, the system has been under scrutiny, including a recent investigation by safety regulators that could potentially lead to a recall. At the same time, Tesla has also managed to close out another investigation, showing the mixed landscape it is navigating.
Still, the approval in the Netherlands could be an important first step. If other European regulators follow suit, Tesla’s supervised Full Self Driving could gradually become more common across the region, bringing the company closer to its long-standing goal of expanding advanced driver assistance worldwide.
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