Dutch Minister Defends Tesla FSD Approval After Reuters Questions Safety Data

Dutch officials are pushing back against claims that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) approval in the Netherlands was influenced by the company’s own marketing or safety statistics, insisting the decision was based on extensive independent testing conducted by regulators.

The response comes after a Reuters investigation alleged Tesla presented potentially misleading safety data to European authorities as part of its efforts to secure approval for FSD.

The report questioned several of the automaker’s public safety claims and suggested regulators in countries including the Netherlands and Sweden had been shown statistics that independent researchers considered problematic.

Reuters argued that several of Tesla’s commonly cited safety comparisons rely on flawed assumptions and data sets that may overstate the performance of its driver assistance technology compared to human drivers.

Despite the allegations, Dutch Minister Vincent Karremans told Parliament on Tuesday that the country’s approval process was based on extensive independent evaluation rather than Tesla’s public-facing statistics.

“The RDW does NOT rely on Tesla marketing claims,” Karremans said. “We conduct our own independent research more than 1.6 million kilometers of real-world testing on Dutch roads. Safety comes first. Period.”

🚨 BREAKING: Dutch Minister Karremans pushes back hard against the NOS/Reuters narrative on Tesla in Parliament.

“The RDW does NOT rely on Tesla marketing claims.

We conduct our own independent research more than 1.6 million kilometers of real-world testing on Dutch roads.… pic.twitter.com/OBqoDLalxq

— NL FSD Inside (@TSLA_inside_) June 16, 2026

According to Reuters, Tesla supplied regulators with presentations that highlighted claims such as FSD-equipped vehicles being significantly safer than average human drivers and projections that widespread adoption could save thousands of lives. Critics interviewed by the news agency argued those figures rely on unrealistic assumptions and comparisons that do not accurately reflect real-world conditions.

However, the Dutch vehicle authority, known as RDW, has consistently maintained that its evaluation process extends far beyond manufacturer-provided material.

In statements provided to Reuters, the agency said it does not rely on “marketing claims or external statistics” when making regulatory decisions. Instead, RDW conducts its own testing across 1.6 million kilometers, verification, and auditing procedures using both public roads and controlled test environments.

That distinction is important because the Netherlands has effectively become the gateway for Tesla’s FSD rollout across Europe. Several subsequent approvals in other countries have been based on the Dutch decision and its findings. The European Commission continues evaluating whether the technology should be authorized across the entire European Union.

For now, Dutch officials appear confident in their approach. While critics continue scrutinizing Tesla’s safety claims, the Netherlands is emphasizing that its decision was ultimately driven by data gathered through independent testing rather than marketing presentations.