Tesla owners in the Netherlands can now use their cars’ self-driving feature — with some conditions — making it the first European country to approve the feature.
The country’s RDW agency for roadworthiness certifications said Friday that Tesla’s driver assistance system can now be used in the Netherlands “with possible future expansion to all member states of the European Union.” The agency said drivers would need to be in the vehicle and keep a watchful eye on it.
The move aligns the Netherlands with what is allowed in the United States, where Tesla owners can already use the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) function in the cars.
“This driver controlled assistance system has been extensively examined and tested for more than one and a half years on our test track and on public roads,” the agency said in a statement. “Safety is RDW’s top priority. Using this driver assistance system correctly makes a positive contribution to road safety.”
The function hands over driving to the Tesla’s computer system, including steering, braking, route navigation and parking, all under the active supervision of the driver, who remains at the controls ready to take over if needed.
The European subsidiary of Tesla, the electric-vehicle company run by the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, hailed the Netherlands’ move.
“FSD Supervised has been approved in the Netherlands & will begin rolling out in the country shortly!” it said on X. “No other vehicle can do this. We’re excited to bring FSD Supervised to more European countries soon.”
