FSD
From February onwards, we can most likely drive Tesla’s self-driving cars for the first time in the Netherlands. The car brand hopes that the rest of Europe will follow. An important role lies with the Dutch vehicle authority RDW. They are not so happy with the striking attention Tesla is paying to the breakthrough. ‘Do not contact us anymore,’ the RDW urges.
The American brand Tesla has been developing cars that can drive themselves for a long time. Many Tesla cars currently have the ‘Full Self-Driving’ (FSD) option. But using this technical gadget is not allowed to date. The function is illegal. Tesla and vehicle authority RDW are now working on a so-called exemption. Elon Musk’s electric car brand states on X that it has safely driven more than a million kilometers during test drives in seventeen different European countries. In addition, all kinds of other tests have been done. And that offers a good basis for new legislation.
Tesla hopes that drivers with FSD in their car will soon be able to drive on the highway without their hands on the wheel, with the car keeping its distance from the vehicle in front and keeping the car in the lane. Teslas must also be able to change lanes themselves, after confirmation from the driver. You can give that confirmation, for example, by using the turn signal.
To introduce this technology in Europe, a European procedure must be used, the RDW explains. ‘An exemption is required and to get it, a member state must submit an application to the European Commission on behalf of the manufacturer. This means that the Netherlands (through the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) submits the application.’
Not yet in the entire EU
Tesla is not there yet with that Dutch application. ‘Approval requires a majority of votes within the responsible EU committee,’ says the RDW. If that majority is reached, Tesla’s self-driving cars can be used throughout the European Union.
If there is no majority, the exemption will only remain valid in the Netherlands. You can then use your self-driving car in the Netherlands. Tesla is expected to receive permission from the RDW in February to use parts of the FSD. It is not known when Europe will vote on this.
In a message on X, Tesla called on its users to thank the RDW and express their enthusiasm by contacting the RDW’s customer service. However, the Dutch authority itself is not so happy with this. ‘We thank everyone who has done this. But we want to call on you not to contact us about this. It costs our customer service unnecessarily much time. Moreover, this will not have any influence on whether or not the planning is achieved. Road safety is the RDW’s top priority: admission is only possible once the safety of the system has been convincingly demonstrated.’
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