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Netherlands Approved Tesla’s FSD While Withholding Safety Evidence

The Dutch regulator’s refusal to publish how it tested the system raises fresh transparency and safety concerns ahead of a possible October EU vote.

Overview

  • In April 2026 the NetherlandsRDW granted provisional approval for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system and has pushed for EU-wide recognition.
  • Emails obtained by Reuters show Tesla pressed RDW from late 2024 to keep evaluation documents secret and to treat testing details as commercial trade secrets.
  • RDW says it performed its own extensive tests on tracks and public roads but will not disclose how it measured performance or the evidence supporting its safety conclusions.
  • A Reuters investigation found Tesla’s public FSD safety statistics are highly exaggerated and reported that Tesla shared those inflated US figures with some EU regulators.
  • An EU vote could come in October 2026 and would need support from countries representing 55% of members and 65% of the bloc’s population, giving larger states the power to block recognition and leaving drivers with unresolved questions about oversight and safety data access.