Tesla has obtained regulatory clearance to deploy its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised software in Croatia, and the company says it will start rolling the feature out soon.
The approval joins a list of European nations that have granted Tesla’s sophisticated driver-assistance technology freedom to function under local laws and regulations. Tesla announced the Croatian approval on Tuesday, “reuters reported”
The technology is not a completely autonomous driving system. The Dutch vehicle regulator RDW, which granted Tesla’s FSD Supervised system earlier this year, calls it a driver-controlled assistance system and states that the driver must remain responsible and in control of the vehicle.
Croatia’s approval comes after regulators in some other European markets. It was approved in April in the Netherlands and then in Belgium and elsewhere. The system was also approved by neighbouring Slovenia earlier in September.
As Tesla expands into Europe, regulators are still mulling on whether the technology should be approved more widely throughout the EU.
One key area of contention is the system’s approach to speed limits. Safety organisations and regulators in several EU member states have expressed concern that a situation may arise in which FSD Supervised might exceed posted speed limits.
The matter is particularly significant as Tesla is looking for a pathway to EU-wide approval, not just per country. Its earlier approval was based on over 18 months of testing and assessment on public roads and test tracks, RDW said.
An EU-wide decision is still pending. The vote which was expected in October was postponed, and the next apparent vote is not scheduled until December, according to Reuters.
Tesla’s application would require a qualified majority in the 27-member bloc for approval. This is at least 15 member states with at least 65% of the EU population.
The European launch is significant for Tesla as it is increasingly competing in the electric-vehicle market, especially from China. Tesla has stated that its FSD expansion is a key component of its strategy to expand its software portfolio and deepen its footprint in Europe.
The Croatian decision is thus another national step forward, and yet it does not resolve the EU regulatory debate at large. As Tesla aims for wider access of FSD Supervised, it will also have to overcome varying safety evaluations and the upcoming bloc-wide procedure.
