A Tesla Model 3 vehicle is shown using the Full Self Driving Beta software (FSD) while navigating a city road in Encinitas, California, U.S., February 28, 2023.
The announcement follows a post published by Tesla on X last Friday claiming that the RDW "has committed to granting the company the Netherlands National approval" in February. Tesla added that once national approval is obtained in the Netherlands, other European Union member states can immediately recognize the exemption and permit deployment in their territories. The company also indicated it would subsequently seek formal EU-wide approval through a vote at the Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles (TCMV).
Tesla had encouraged its customers to contact the RDW directly to express support for rapid approval. On Monday, however, the authority requested that such contact cease.
"Road safety remains the RDW's top priority: approval is only possible once the safety of the system has been convincingly demonstrated," the agency emphasized.
The Netherlands plays a key role in European vehicle type approval processes, and a national exemption granted there can serve as a foundation for broader rollout across the European Union under mutual recognition principles.
Earlier this month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk indicated that Full Self-Driving is expected to receive regulatory clearance in China during the early part of next year.
In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced in October that it has initiated a formal investigation covering approximately 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD. The probe follows reports of over 50 traffic-safety incidents, including multiple collisions.
The RDW's upcoming evaluation will focus exclusively on technical compliance and documented evidence of safe operation under European regulatory requirements. A positive outcome in the Netherlands could facilitate subsequent approvals across additional EU markets, potentially accelerating the technology's availability for European customers while maintaining established safety oversight procedures.
