RDW response following Teslas call to action
On 22 November 2025, Tesla published a message on X regarding Full Self Driving Supervised (FSD Supervised), in which the RDW was mentioned. We do not share details about ongoing applications from manufacturers, as this concerns commercially sensitive information. However, we can state that the RDW and Tesla have established a schedule, according to which Tesla is expected to demonstrate in February 2026 that FSD Supervised meets the required standards. Both RDW and Tesla are aware of the efforts needed to reach a decision on this matter in February. Whether this timeline will be met is yet to be determined in the coming period. For the RDW, (road) safety is paramount.
In the message on X, Tesla calls on Tesla drivers to thank the RDW and to express their enthusiasm about this schedule by contacting us. We thank everyone who has already done so, but would like to urge people not to contact us about this matter. It takes up unnecessary time for our customer service. Furthermore, this will have no impact whatsoever on whether or not the schedule will be met. Road safety remains the RDW's top priority: approval is only possible once the safety of the system has been convincingly demonstrated.
Approval of new technology in the EU
When a manufacturer wishes to introduce a new technology in Europe, for which there is not yet any legislation, a European procedure may be used. Under this legislation, it is possible to obtain an exemption for the market admission of new technologies in the European Union. In order to obtain this exemption, a Member State must submit an application to the European Commission on behalf of the manufacturer. This means that the Netherlands (through the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) submits the application. This is laid down in the European Regulation (EU) 2018/858. Approval requires a majority of votes within the responsible EU committee. If a majority votes in favour, the manufacturer is granted an exemption for this new technology in the EU. The exemption is then valid in all Member States, allowing the technology to be used across the EU. If there is no majority, the exemption will only remain valid within the Netherlands, and the technology may only be used in the Netherlands. Other Member States can then independently decide whether to adopt the approval for their own territory.
Before an application for exemption for the market admission of new technologies in the European Union can be submitted, a manufacturer must first demonstrate that a vehicle or system complies with the regulations. To this end, the manufacturer must undergo a comprehensive testing procedure with a type approval authority. In the Netherlands, this is the RDW. Part of the testing procedure includes, among other things, tests on public roads.