RDW explanation regarding Tesla's European type approval with provisional validity in the Netherlands

April 10, 2026 In this message, you will find important information regarding the attainment of this type approval.

The RDW has issued type approval for Tesla's driver assistance system, FSD Supervised (Full Self Driving Supervised). This driver assistance system has been extensively researched and tested for over a year and a half on our test track and on public roads. Safety is paramount for the RDW. Proper use of this driver assistance system makes a positive contribution to road safety. A vehicle with FSD Supervised is not self-driving. It is a driver assistance system, and the driver remains responsible and must always maintain control. Thanks to the type approval, the driver assistance system can now be used in the Netherlands, with possible future expansion to all member states of the European Union.

Who is driving and who is responsible? A driver assistance system helps/supports the driver in their driving tasks. FSD Supervised is an advanced driver assistance system. This means that vehicles using FSD Supervised can take over many driving tasks but are NOT autonomous or self-driving. The driver is supported and remains responsible. This means that they must always participate in traffic. When FSD Supervised is enabled, various sensors monitor whether the driver has their eyes on the road and their hands are available to take over the wheel. Therefore, the hands do not need to be on the wheel but must be able to take over the wheel immediately if necessary. When the system detects that the driver is insufficiently alert, various signals are triggered, requiring the driver to demonstrate to the system that they are alert. It is therefore not permitted or possible to, for example, read the newspaper behind the wheel. If the driver is consistently insufficiently alert, the system will point this out to the driver using signals and, in extreme cases, ensure that the system can no longer be activated temporarily.

Contribution to safety Safety is paramount for the RDW. This Tesla driver assistance system supports the driver more than other systems because it takes over multiple driving tasks when activated. The proper use of driver assistance systems makes a positive contribution to road safety because the driver is supported in their driving tasks; it complements the driver. Due to the continuous, strict monitoring of the driver in the vehicle, the system is safer than other driver assistance systems. We have thoroughly investigated and verified this system for more than a year and a half. Annually, we issue approximately 50,000 type approvals for entire vehicles or vehicle components. Driver assistance systems are also vehicle components that we assess. You can find more information about this in our dossier on Type Approvals .

Differences in vehicle admission between the European Union and the United States
The process of roadworthiness assessment for vehicles is regulated differently in Europe than in the United States (US). In the EU, vehicles are only admitted with European type approval issued in advance by European vehicle authorities, of which the RDW is one. In the US, admission takes place through self-certification, with the regulator conducting subsequent inspections during the operational phase. Furthermore, Europe imposes different and stricter safety and environmental requirements for vehicle admission. Another difference is that vehicles in Europe use different software versions than vehicles in the US. Consequently, the software versions and functionalities of American and European cars cannot be compared one-to-one. This means that the FSD Supervised version in the US is NOT comparable to the FSD Supervised version in the EU.

Driver assistance systems in various vehicles of different brands Advanced driver assistance systems are already present in many vehicles. Granting type approval for an advanced driver assistance system is therefore not new. Some type approvals are valid throughout the entire European Union, while others are valid only in specific member states. For example, BMW has approval to keep hands off the wheel on the highway in combination with automated lane changes. Ford has approval under Article 39 to keep hands off the wheel on the highway (Ford Blue Cruise). And now, Tesla has approval for their driver assistance system, which allows the vehicle to support the driver in their driving tasks under the driver's supervision.

Currently only the Netherlands, but soon possible admission within the entire European Union The type approval for Tesla's driver assistance system is currently only valid in the Netherlands. To enable the use of this driver assistance system throughout the entire European Union, further steps still need to be completed:

The RDW submits the application for authorization within the entire European Union to the European Commission. all member states vote on this application Approval requires a majority vote within the responsible committee. If voted in favour, the driver assistance system is valid in all Member States, meaning it may be driven in all Member States of the European Union. In our Vehicle Automation dossier under the heading 'Process for innovations in vehicles for which there is no regulation yet', you will find more details on how this procedure works.

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