FSD in Europe: Tesla Says 'Soon!', Regulators Say 'Hold Your Horses!' - The Dutch Drama Unfolds

TL;DR: Tesla announced FSD (Supervised) is targeting February 2026 approval in the Netherlands, potentially unlocking Europe. But the Dutch regulator, RDW, quickly clarified: 'We've got a schedule, but it ain't a guarantee!' Looks like a classic 'he said, she said' in the world of self-driving!

Meta: Tesla's ambitious FSD Europe timeline faces a reality check from Dutch regulators, highlighting complex approval hurdles.

Alright, this is a real nail-biter, folks! Tesla gets on X, all excited, saying their Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is eyeing a February 2026 approval in the Netherlands, which they hope will open the floodgates for the rest of Europe. They're telling everybody, 'Hey, thank the RDW (that's the Dutch vehicle authority) for making this happen!' Sounded like a done deal, right? Like when I tell my kids, 'Clean your room, and you might get ice cream!' But then, the RDW, like a stern parent, came right back and said, 'Whoa there, cowboy! We got a schedule, sure, but that ain't the same as a guarantee! And stop telling people to call us, we're busy!' Man, that's cold. Just when you think you're cruising, you hit a speed bump the size of a Cybertruck.

The Regulatory Tango

See, Europe's got rules, a lot of 'em. And they ain't messing around with 'beta' software on public roads like us folks in the Wild West (read: America). Tesla's been at this for over a year, giving FSD demos to regulators in practically every EU country, driving a million kilometers in testing, and sharing all their safety data. They're trying to get exemptions under old UN regulations and EU Article 39 for features like hands-off lane changes that ain't even properly regulated yet. Tesla's argument? Some of these rules are outdated and trying to make FSD compliant would make it 'unsafe and unusable.' It's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, only the peg is a highly complex AI system, and the hole is a bureaucratic labyrinth.

Now, the RDW confirmed they do have a schedule with Tesla, aiming for February 2026 for Tesla to demonstrate FSD meets the requirements. But, and this is the important part, whether it actually gets approved is still up in the air. And that whole 'contact us and thank us' thing? RDW said, 'Please stop, you're tying up our customer service, and it won't affect the decision.' Ouch. That's a classic case of public relations meeting cold, hard regulatory reality.

The Path Forward (Maybe?)

If the Netherlands does grant national approval, then other EU countries can recognize that exemption. It's like getting a VIP pass, and then your buddies can follow. After that, Tesla would push for a formal EU-wide approval through a TCMV (Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles) vote. It's a long, winding road, folks. And Tesla's been down this road before, with promises of FSD in Europe that didn't quite pan out. Remember 2022? Or early 2025? Yeah, me too. Tesla's betting on its 'train anywhere, deploy anywhere' AI vision system, but Europe's not quite ready to just take their word for it.

This back-and-forth highlights the fundamental tension between Tesla's rapid-iteration, 'move fast and break things' approach and Europe's more cautious, safety-first regulatory framework. Tesla's latest FSD v14 code even hints at readiness, with changes like removing the 'beta' label and adding attention-monitoring icons, all geared towards European sensibilities. But until that official stamp of approval comes through, it's just talk and a whole lot of internal testing kilometers.

What's Next

The crucial date to watch is February 2026, when Tesla is slated to demonstrate FSD's compliance to the RDW. This will be a pivotal moment. If successful, we'll see if other EU nations indeed follow the Netherlands' lead, and then if a broader EU-wide approval is sought and granted. This will determine if FSD becomes a significant revenue driver for Tesla in Europe or remains a distant promise for its millions of HW3 and even some HW4 owners across the continent.

So, grab your popcorn, folks, this regulatory drama's got more twists than a pretzel. And just like a good joke, the punchline better be worth the wait. Ha!