Tesla's FSD Faces European Hurdles as Regulators Question Safety and Misleading Name

Tesla’s “Supervised Full Self-Driving” (FSD) system has encountered resistance in its bid for EU-wide certification. Although the system received approval from the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) in April 2024, with Dutch authorities subsequently pushing for EU-wide recognition, regulatory agencies in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Estonia have raised multiple safety concerns. Regulators’ worries include the system’s tendency to exceed speed limits, its reliability on icy or other winter road conditions, drivers’ ability to bypass safety mechanisms designed to prevent phone use while driving, and the system’s capacity to detect large wildlife such as moose. Additionally, officials from several countries argue that the term “Supervised Full Self-Driving” could mislead consumers into believing the vehicle is capable of fully autonomous operation. Internal emails reviewed by Reuters reveal that Tesla began lobbying countries like Sweden to recognize the Dutch approval just four days after it was granted—before technical documentation had even been submitted for review. Some nations indicated they would await the outcome of a European Commission hearing before making a decision. The Commission heard Dutch officials present their rationale for approval on May 7, but no vote has been scheduled this week. For FSD to gain EU-wide approval, it must secure support from member states representing at least 55% of EU countries and 65% of the EU population. The next two meetings are expected in July and October. Tesla had previously projected EU-wide certification in the second or third quarter of 2024, stating that FSD approval is critical to boosting sales in Europe. European sales dropped 27% in 2025 amid protests linked to Elon Musk’s political activities. The company has rolled out a monthly FSD subscription service and emphasizes that drivers must remain fully attentive at all times. Some regulators have offered positive assessments of FSD’s performance; Danish and Dutch officials noted it operated well in Copenhagen’s rush-hour traffic and around Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. However, authorities in Sweden and Finland maintain that the technology must comply fully with existing regulations. Regulators also reported receiving numerous emails from Tesla owners urging FSD approval—many of which appeared mass-sent and based on misunderstandings. Tesla’s EU policy manager acknowledged such campaigns are unhelpful to the approval process and apologized for them. To date, Dutch authorities have not publicly released the test data or research reports supporting their approval decision, only stating that the system underwent comprehensive evaluation.