Pressured by Tesla, European regulators keep 'Full Self-Driving' safety data secret

European regulators have kept the safety data of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system secret, despite the Dutch regulator RDW approving its use in the Netherlands. RDW refused to disclose why it deemed the system safe or how it evaluated the technology, citing commercial secrets as the reason, similar to Tesla's requests for confidentiality.

Tesla has pressured RDW to keep the documentation regarding the FSD safety review confidential, according to unreported email exchanges between the two parties, obtained through a public-record request by Reuters.

Tesla views the FSD approval as crucial for boosting sales in Europe, where it aims to regain lost market share and compete with Chinese EV manufacturers. European regulators, however, have historically been more cautious about automated driving systems than U.S. authorities. They typically require automakers to obtain permission before deploying driver-assistance systems such as FSD.

Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, has claimed that FSD, which requires a human driver to remain attentive, will soon be fully autonomous. However, a Reuters investigation in May revealed that Tesla's self-reported FSD safety statistics are exaggerated and that the company is far from deploying self-driving technology at scale. In June, Reuters reported that Tesla had shared inflated FSD-safety data from the United States with several EU regulators, including RDW, as part of its approval process.

Despite this, RDW has stated that it did not rely on Tesla's statistics and conducted its own "extensive testing" on closed tracks and public roads under various conditions. The regulator declined to release details of its testing or its conclusions about the system's performance, citing an "obligation to protect manufacturer-specific information." European vehicle-safety law experts argue that RDW is withholding vital information under the guise of trade secrets, potentially compromising public safety.