Tesla’s fully autonomous (supervised) driver assistance software is now available in Lithuania, the second European country to approve its use. That’s because the company is working to position itself as an AI and robotics powerhouse rather than just an automaker.
Making FSD available in Europe, which began last month when Dutch regulator RDW approved its use, is critical to Tesla and CEO Elon Musk’s ambitions. It’s also important financially for Musk, whose $1 trillion pay package is tied to hitting various product goals, including achieving “10 million active FSD subscriptions” by 2035.
Tesla still has a long way to go before it reaches 10 million subscribers. The company said in its first quarter earnings call in April that it had about 1.3 million FSD paying customers worldwide.
Tesla’s FSD (Director) was first released in beta in late 2020. The advanced driver assistance system, which still requires active driver supervision, has since received regular updates to eliminate bugs and improve stability and performance. Today’s systems can handle driving maneuvers such as steering, lane changes, and parking. Tesla allows owners to pay a one-time fee for the software. Last January, Musk announced that the only way to access this feature would be through a monthly subscription, which currently costs $99.
The introduction of FSD in Europe was neither rapid nor violent. Regulatory scrutiny has traditionally slowed adoption compared to the United States. Currently FSD is only available in the Netherlands and currently only in Lithuania. The rollout could be accelerated if Dutch regulator RDW, which oversaw the initial European approval, succeeds in its bid for EU-wide approval.
Meanwhile, European countries may recognize Dutch certification and accept FSD. And it appears that many of them are in the queue.
Greece’s Ministry of Transport will approve FSD in its upcoming legislation on Wednesday, Reuters reported. Belgium is also expected to approve the use of FSD following the same approval process used by RDW.
Outside of Europe, FSD is available in Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United States.
FSD (Director) isn’t the only product that fits Musk’s vision of making Tesla a leader in AI and robotics, but it’s the only one that’s actually available to a wide range of consumers.
FSD Unsupervised, a version of the software that handles all driving without the expectation of a human driver taking control, is not available to Tesla owners. It is used in a small fleet of about 50 Tesla robotaxi operating in Austin, Dallas and Houston.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot is not yet in mass production or available to consumers.
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