Tesla has begun offering its first Full Self-Driving demo drives in Europe. However, there’s an important catch, as the company works to officially bring FSD to the region.
The pilot program is currently available in Italy, France, and Germany, with more countries coming soon, where customers can now experiences a Tesla equipped with FSD (Supervised).
For now, however, Tesla is keeping full control of the experience. A trained employee must sit in the driver’s seat at all times, while the customer observes from the passenger seat.
While that may seem restrictive, it’s one that reflects the strict regulatory environment across Europe.
Tesla’s goal is not just to give customers a glimpse of its autonomy software, but also to demonstrate to regulators, policymakers, and the public that FSD can safely operate on Europe’s complex and often unpredictable road network.
Unlike in North America, Europe follows a much more centralized framework under UNECE regulations. This means Tesla must receive approval at a higher level, and prove that its system behaves consistently, predictably, and in line with European interpretations of driver responsibility and vehicle automation.
As a result, features like Autosteer and Navigate on Autopilot have historically been more limited in Europe than in Canada or the U.S. Full Self-Driving, which goes significantly further than those systems, has faced even steeper hurdles.
As we previously reported, Tesla is aiming for potential regulatory approval in the Netherlands as early as February 2026. If Tesla is successful and can secure approval there, it could create the framework for broader expansion across other EU countries.
For now, European Tesla owners will need to remain in the passenger seat when experiencing FSD. But the fact that Tesla is willing to demonstrate the system publicly, on real roads, in some of Europe’s most regulated automotive markets is a positive sign that they company believes it is close to finally getting approval.
