Full Self-Driving’s path to Europe has hit another delay, and this time it comes with a US regulatory shadow. The Dutch RDW has pushed Tesla’s expected approval date from 20 March to 10 April 2026.

The European Delay

The three-week slip continues a pattern: Tesla has not yet hit a single self-announced European FSD deadline. The original target was February 2026, then March 20, and now April 10.

If that date holds, the Netherlands would become the first European market to greenlight FSD (Supervised). Tesla says EU-wide recognition could follow during summer 2026, as other member states can accept the Dutch approval under mutual recognition rules.

The delay itself is modest — three weeks — but it arrives in a process where credibility on timelines matters. European regulators are watching both the technology and Tesla’s ability to deliver on its commitments.

The NHTSA Probe

More concerning for the European approval process is what is happening in the United States. NHTSA has upgraded its FSD investigation to an Engineering Analysis — the most serious classification, typically the final step before a mandatory recall. The probe now covers 3.2 million vehicles.

The agency has raised specific concerns about FSD’s performance in poor visibility conditions, questioning whether the system reliably recognises when conditions are too degraded for safe operation and whether it can promptly return control to the driver.

A viral video in early March showed a Tesla on FSD driving straight through active railroad crossing barriers in Los Angeles, failing to detect the gates entirely. NHTSA confirmed this type of scenario falls within the scope of its investigation.

European Implications

European regulators are not bound by US findings, but the optics are unavoidable. The RDW is conducting its own independent assessment under EU standards, including verification drives across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. However, a US recall of the same technology would inevitably complicate European approval narratives.

Tesla has maintained that its European FSD version is adapted for local conditions, including more complex roundabout scenarios and different road markings. Whether that adaptation addresses the visibility and edge-case concerns raised by NHTSA remains to be demonstrated.

What to Expect

April 10 is the new date to watch. If the RDW grants approval, the domino effect across Europe could be rapid — Belgium has already signalled it would honour the Dutch decision within 30 days. But any further delays or a US recall announcement could push European FSD into the second half of 2026.