Tesla's FSD gets green light in Europe: Netherlands opens the door
The Dutch RDW has approved Tesla's FSD Supervised. Spain already allows driverless testing. The system arrives in Europe amid doubts over safety and cost.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Tesla wins approval for supervised FSD in the Netherlands; the rest of Europe still to come
Almost two years after Elon Musk promised full autonomous driving in Europe, a Dutch regulator has said yes. The RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) has approved the FSD Supervised system, allowing its use on Dutch roads. And the key is that, under the European framework, this type approval can be extended to the other member states without repeating the 18 months of testing.
The regulatory road: from rumors to activation
The process has been a long and winding one. In November 2025, TechCrunch and Mashable reported that the RDW might not approve the system after Tesla pressured drivers to lobby the agency. However, in April 2026 the Dutch authority gave the green light, activating FSD for owners who had already purchased it. According to data from the thread, Tesla had accumulated more than a million kilometers of testing on European roads, including complex environments such as Paris, Rome and Madrid.
Spain, the advanced testing ground
Months earlier, in July 2025, Spain quietly launched the ES-AV regulatory framework, which allows Level 3 testing without a mandatory safety driver. Tesla obtained immediate approval for 19 vehicles with unlimited testing across the country. This decision made Spain the most advanced testing ground in Europe for autonomous driving, surpassing Germany or Sweden in regulatory permissiveness.
The doubts that remain
Despite the green light, questions about safety persist. The system is Level 2 (supervised), not fully autonomous. Unlike Mercedes' Level 3, limited to 60 km/h on highways, Tesla's FSD promises door-to-door driving, but with the obligation for the driver to stay attentive. Moreover, data from the Austin robotaxis (USA) show an accident rate of one every 60,000 km, eight times higher than the average human driver. However, supporters of the system point out that these accidents are usually minor and that FSD is already safer than a distracted driver.
What does it miccionan for transport and jobs?
The debate over the labor impact is inevitable. Taxi drivers and professional drivers see a threat in the short term, although the timelines for mass adoption are measured in decades rather than years. What is immediate is the change in personal mobility: being able to go out for dinner and get home dozing, or park autonomously. The monthly subscription is around 100 euros, a cost many are willing to take on.
The expansion to other European countries is underway. After the Netherlands, Lithuania and Estonia have already recognized the type approval. Germany, Sweden and Italy look set to be next. But the European regulator, which some accuse of protecting the local car lobby, remains the last hurdle before FSD becomes a continental reality. On April 10 the RDW will publish the full results of its evaluation; their content will determine whether Europe speeds up or slows down.
Related discussions in the forum
Almost two years after Elon Musk promised full autonomous driving in Europe, a Dutch regulator has said yes. The RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) has approved the FSD Supervised system, allowing its use on Dutch roads. And the key is that, under the European framework, this type approval can be extended to the other member states without repeating the 18 months of testing.
The regulatory road: from rumors to activation
The process has been a long and winding one. In November 2025, TechCrunch and Mashable reported that the RDW might not approve the system after Tesla pressured drivers to lobby the agency. However, in April 2026 the Dutch authority gave the green light, activating FSD for owners who had already purchased it. According to data from the thread, Tesla had accumulated more than a million kilometers of testing on European roads, including complex environments such as Paris, Rome and Madrid.
Spain, the advanced testing ground
Months earlier, in July 2025, Spain quietly launched the ES-AV regulatory framework, which allows Level 3 testing without a mandatory safety driver. Tesla obtained immediate approval for 19 vehicles with unlimited testing across the country. This decision made Spain the most advanced testing ground in Europe for autonomous driving, surpassing Germany or Sweden in regulatory permissiveness.
The doubts that remain
Despite the green light, questions about safety persist. The system is Level 2 (supervised), not fully autonomous. Unlike Mercedes' Level 3, limited to 60 km/h on highways, Tesla's FSD promises door-to-door driving, but with the obligation for the driver to stay attentive. Moreover, data from the Austin robotaxis (USA) show an accident rate of one every 60,000 km, eight times higher than the average human driver. However, supporters of the system point out that these accidents are usually minor and that FSD is already safer than a distracted driver.
What does it miccionan for transport and jobs?
The debate over the labor impact is inevitable. Taxi drivers and professional drivers see a threat in the short term, although the timelines for mass adoption are measured in decades rather than years. What is immediate is the change in personal mobility: being able to go out for dinner and get home dozing, or park autonomously. The monthly subscription is around 100 euros, a cost many are willing to take on.
The expansion to other European countries is underway. After the Netherlands, Lithuania and Estonia have already recognized the type approval. Germany, Sweden and Italy look set to be next. But the European regulator, which some accuse of protecting the local car lobby, remains the last hurdle before FSD becomes a continental reality. On April 10 the RDW will publish the full results of its evaluation; their content will determine whether Europe speeds up or slows down.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (98 replies).
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