A major regulatory barrier to Tesla's Full Self-Driving ambitions in Europe falls on September 26, 2025. Amendments to UNECE Regulation 171, adopted at the WP29 World Forum in March, officially take effect, enabling System-Initiated Manoeuvres (SIM) on European highways for the first time.
Ce qui change le 26 septembre
Until now, European regulations only permitted vehicles to suggest manoeuvres to the driver. The new framework allows vehicles to autonomously initiate actions such as lane changes on motorways, provided the driver maintains supervisory responsibility. The regulation applies across the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and all other UNECE-adopting nations unless they formally object.
Observers put the probability of the amendment proceeding without objection at approximately 95%, based on historical UNECE precedent.
Tests FSD dans huit pays
Tesla has spent the summer expanding its FSD testing programme across Europe. As of September, approximately 10,000 early-access participants are testing the system in eight countries:
| Pays | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Active testing | Phase 1 market |
| France | Active testing | Phase 1 market |
| Netherlands | Active testing | Phase 1 market |
| Sweden | Active testing | Phase 1 market |
| Spain | Active since July 3 | Fifth country confirmed |
| Switzerland | Active testing | — |
| Norway | Active testing | — |
| Portugal | Active testing | — |
Tesla confirmed the Spain launch on July 3 with footage of the system navigating Madrid's streets, though it noted testing remains "pending regulatory approval."
Ce qui reste limité
The September 26 regulation covers highway scenarios only. City-street autonomy, including parking and urban navigation, remains outside the approved framework. Stricter driver monitoring requirements also mean features like steering-wheel attention alerts will persist even as the system gains more capability.
CEO Elon Musk expressed frustration with the pace of European approvals earlier this summer, stating he was "waiting for Dutch authorities and then the EU to approve" and characterising delays as harmful to road safety, citing data showing advanced autonomous systems reduce injuries by approximately four times.
La route à suivre
Tesla's plan calls for gradual expansion from the early-access pool to wider FSD subscribers in Phase 1 markets beginning in October 2025. The regulatory green light on September 26 removes a key blocker, though individual national approvals may still introduce delays.
Update: As of early 2026, Tesla FSD Supervised has not yet received full European commercial approval. Testing continues to expand, and Tesla is reportedly close to securing approval for highway-level autonomy across the EU.