Tesla’s full self-driving program is creeping into Europe

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Driver Assistance (Supervision) software is now available in Lithuania, the second European country to approve its use, as the company seeks to position itself as a powerhouse for artificial intelligence and robotics rather than just a car maker.

The availability of FSD in Europe – which began last month when Dutch regulator RDW approved its use – is crucial to the ambitions of Tesla and CEO Elon Musk. It’s also financially significant for Musk, whose $1 trillion pay package is tied to hitting a number of product goals, including reaching “10 million active FSD subscriptions” by 2035.

Tesla has a long way to go before it reaches the 10 million sign-up number. The company said during its first-quarter earnings call in April that it has approximately 1.3 million FSD paying customers globally.

Tesla’s FSD (supervision) system was first launched in beta in late 2020. The advanced driver assistance system, which still requires active driver supervision, has been undergoing regular updates since then to eliminate bugs and improve reliability and performance. Today, the system can handle driving maneuvers, such as steering, lane changes and parking. Tesla used to let owners pay a one-time fee for the software; In January, Musk announced that the only way to access this feature would be through a monthly subscription, which currently stands at $99.

The rollout of FSD in Europe has not been fast or furious – regulatory scrutiny has traditionally slowed rollout compared to the US. Today, FSD is only available in the Netherlands, and now in Lithuania. The rollout could be accelerated if Dutch regulator RDW, which oversaw the first European approval, is successful in its bid to gain EU-level acceptance.

Meanwhile, European countries can recognize the Dutch certificate and allow FSD. A number of them appear to be on a waiting list.

The Greek Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday that an upcoming draft law would grant approval for the FSD, Reuters reported. Belgium is also expected to allow the use of FSD, following the same licensing 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 (Supervision) isn’t the only product that fits Musk’s vision of turning Tesla into a leader in AI and robotics, but it’s the only product that’s actually available to a wide range of consumers.

FSD Unsupervised, a version of the software that handles all aspects of driving without any expectation of a human driver taking control, is not available to Tesla owners. It is used in a small fleet of about 50 Tesla robotaxis operating in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.

Meanwhile, Tesla’s humanoid Optimus robot has not yet been mass-produced or available to consumers.