Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver assistance software is now available in Lithuania, the second European country to approve its use, as the company pushes to position itself as an AI and robotics powerhouse and not just an automaker.
Making FSD available in Europe – which began last month when Dutch regulator RDW approved its use – is central to Tesla and CEO Elon Musk’s ambitions. It’s also financially important to Musk, whose $1 trillion pay package is tied to achieving a number of product goals, including hitting “10 million FSD active subscriptions” by 2035.
Tesla still has a long way to go before it hits that 10 million subscriber mark. The company said during its first quarter earnings in April that it has approximately 1.3 million FSD paying customers worldwide.
Tesla’s FSD (Guarded) first launched in beta in late 2020. The advanced driver assistance system, which still requires active driver supervision, has had regular updates since then to remove bugs, and improve reliability and performance. Today, this system can control driving situations, such as steering, changing lanes and parking. Tesla used to allow owners to pay a one-time fee for the software; In January, Musk announced the only way to access this feature is through a $99 monthly subscription.
The release of FSD in Europe has not been fast or furious – regulatory scrutiny has traditionally slowed shipments compared to the United States. Today, FSD is only available in the Netherlands, and now in Lithuania. The rollout could be accelerated if Dutch regulator RDW, which oversees Europe’s first approval, succeeds in its bid for EU-wide approval.
Meanwhile, European countries can recognize the Dutch certificate and allow the FSD. And many of them seem to be on the line.
Greece’s Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday that an upcoming bill would authorize the FSD, Reuters reported. Belgium is also expected to approve the use of the FSD, following the same approval process used by the RDW.
Outside of Europe, FSD is found in Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United States.
FSD (Guarded) is not the only product that fits Musk’s vision to turn Tesla into a leader in AI and robotics, but it is the only one available to a wide range of consumers.
Unattended FSD, a software version that handles all driving without expecting a human driver to be in control, is not available to Tesla owners. It is used in about 50 of Tesla’s small robot fleets that operate in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot, as yet, is not yet in mass production or available to consumers.
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