Khaberni - The regulatory bodies in the Netherlands have approved the use of Tesla's autonomous driving software, with the requirement of human supervision, on highways and city streets, as a European first for the electric car company, which hopes that other European Union countries will follow its lead.
The expansion in the use of the full self-driving (FSD) system is a fundamental pillar of Tesla's growth strategy, as a large part of the company's trillion-dollar value relies on CEO Elon Musk's bet that AI-based autonomous systems and self-driving taxis will become a major source of revenue.
The approval of this technology in the Netherlands, called "Full Self Driving Supervised," which enables steering, braking, and accelerating of the car, comes after more than 18 months of testing and analysis by the Dutch vehicle regulatory body "RDW," according to "Reuters."
The authority stated on Friday that "the proper use of this driver assistance system contributes positively to road safety," adding that it will also apply for this technology to be accredited across the entire European Union.
Positive Expectations
Tesla is also relying on autonomous driving software to boost its car sales, which have slowed down in Europe due to an aging lineup of electric vehicles and Elon Musk's extreme right-wing political rhetoric, which has alienated some consumers.
Tesla's sales in Europe increased in February for the first time in over a year.
Seth Goldstein, an analyst at Morningstar for investment research, said, "I expect that the adoption of the full autonomous driving system by the Dutch authorities and then by the European regulatory bodies later on will improve sales in Europe in the coming months as consumers are excited to try the full self-driving (system)."
Tesla said in a post on platform X: "We are excited to make the FSD Supervised system available in more European countries soon," adding that it will soon start rolling out the technology in the Netherlands.
The program is already available as a subscription for drivers in the United States, where it also faces lawsuits from consumers and federal investigations after traffic incidents and reports of violations.
The Dutch vehicle regulatory authority stated that the European Union imposes stricter safety requirements during the vehicle accreditation process compared to the United States.
The authority added, without providing further details: "This means that the FSD Supervised version in the United States does not compare to its counterpart in the European Union."
The Bigger Goal
Tesla is the most famous electric car manufacturer in the Netherlands, where there are about 100,000 of its Model 3 and Model Y cars combined eligible for the full autonomous driving system.
The Dutch vehicle regulatory authority has now announced that it will submit a request to the European Commission to accredit Tesla's system at the European Union level.
All member states will vote on the request, which requires a majority in the competent committee to make the system effective at the European Union level.
If it does not win the majority, each country can individually decide to allow its use. Tesla said last month that it expects to be able to get approval at the EU level during the summer.
