Tesla offers Full Self-Driving ride-alongs in Europe as it inches closer to regulatory approval
Tesla is intensifying its push to secure approval for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology in Europe, a process that has faced numerous challenges over the past year. In a bold move, the electric vehicle manufacturer is set to offer ride-alongs featuring FSD in France, Germany, and Italy next month, allowing potential users to experience the technology firsthand from the passenger seat. This initiative aims to showcase FSD’s capabilities, which Tesla claims can autonomously manage nearly all driving scenarios but still requires human oversight. Despite FSD being available in the United States since 2022, Tesla has encountered significant hurdles in rolling it out internationally, particularly in Europe, where regulatory scrutiny is stringent.
Tesla’s optimism regarding FSD approval stems from a recent announcement indicating that it expects to receive the green light from the Dutch regulatory body, RDW, by February 2026. However, the RDW has tempered this enthusiasm, stating that while a schedule for approval has been outlined, it remains uncertain whether the timeline can be adhered to. This uncertainty has been compounded by Tesla’s call for European customers to contact the RDW and express their support for the technology, which led to the regulator urging Tesla fans to refrain from inundating them with messages. In the meantime, Tesla has been actively testing FSD on European roads, sharing videos of its vehicles navigating complex urban environments, such as the streets of Rome and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Despite these efforts, Tesla’s sales in Europe have taken a significant hit, plummeting nearly 50% compared to the previous year, as reported by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. This decline has been attributed to several factors, including backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s political affiliations and increasing competition from rivals like BYD, which has seen a remarkable sales increase of over 200% in the same period. Musk has voiced frustrations regarding European bureaucracy, describing the regulatory landscape as a “Kafkaesque” maze that is hindering Tesla’s growth potential in the region. He remains hopeful that once FSD receives approval, it will catalyze a surge in Tesla’s sales across Europe, helping the company recover from its current slump and regain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving electric vehicle market.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsBf0IOPzMM
Tesla has been battling to get FSD approved in Europe for over a year.
CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Tesla is stepping up its efforts to get self-driving cars on the road in Europe.
The EV maker is offering Full Self-Driving ride-alongs in France, Germany, and Italy next month.
Tesla aims to have FSD approved in Europe by February, but regulators have cast doubt on the timeline.
Tesla
is going on the offensive in its campaign to roll out its self-driving tech in Europe.
The EV maker is offering Full Self-Driving (FSD) ride-alongs in Germany, Italy, and France next month, as it inches closer to introducing the self-driving software in Europe.
According to Tesla’s website, the ride-alongs will allow Europeans to experience FSD — which the company says can handle almost all driving scenarios autonomously but requires human supervision — during a test drive from the passenger seat.
FSD has been available in the US since 2022, but Tesla has struggled to roll it out internationally.
The automaker said in a Saturday X post that after
pushing hard to ship FSD in Europe
for over a year, it expected to get approval from the Dutch regulator RDW in February 2026.
However, the regulator quickly fired back, saying that although the agency had drawn up a schedule to grant approval by February, it “remains to be seen” whether that timeline will be met.
The RDW also asked Tesla fans to stop contacting them after the company called on European owners to get in touch with the regulator and “express your excitement.”
Tesla has been testing Full Self-Driving for months on European roads, posting videos of cars driving through the streets of Rome and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Business Insider previously reported that Tesla employees working on FSD approval have expressed impatience with the extensive testing required by Dutch regulators, with one employee telling officials that FSD approval was
“mission critical” to Tesla’s leadership
.
CEO Elon Musk has regularly complained that European bureaucracy is holding up Tesla’s attempts to roll out its self-driving tech.
In a July earnings call, he said the company was navigating a “Kafkaesque” labyrinth of regulations, and predicted that Tesla’s sales in Europe would surge once the company got the regulatory green light.
Tesla could use the boost. The company’s sales in Europe have
plummeted this year
amid backlash over Musk’s support for the far-right German party AFD and fierce competition from the Chinese EV giant BYD.
In October, Tesla’s European sales were down nearly 50% from the previous year, according to
data
from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, while BYD’s sales surged by over 200%.
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