Slovenia clears Tesla’s FSD driver assistance ahead of EU vote

In a statement on Monday, the U.S. automaker announced that Slovenia has given the green light for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) driver-assistance software to be used on public roads, marking the sixth European country to permit the system. This development comes at a time when a Europe-wide vote on approval could be on the horizon.

Tesla posted on X on Monday: "FSD Supervised now approved in Slovenia. Rollout will begin soon." The message was subsequently shared by CEO Elon Musk on his own account.

The announcement also caught the attention of Slovenia’s Energy and Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec, who reposted it along with the comment "Developing Slovenia," signaling official enthusiasm for the technology.

Regulators in the Netherlands provisionally approved the use of the software on their roads in early April, making it the first European Union member state to allow FSD. The system is capable of controlling a vehicle but still requires the driver to remain attentive at all times.

Tesla noted last week, when it publicly released a self-generated dataset from its testing activities in Europe and North America, that an EU-wide approval vote might take place as soon as October 6.

In addition to the Netherlands and Slovenia, four other European countries have already authorized Tesla's driver-assistance system. Meanwhile, Finland and Greece have indicated they are currently evaluating possible approvals.

France, which expressed concerns in July regarding potential safety-related issues around approvals, said last week that it had started testing two FSD-equipped cars. This follows what the French transport minister described as a "constructive exchange" with Elon Musk.

The Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency confirmed to Reuters via email that it had approved the system. The agency added that although Slovenia aims to stay open to innovation and technological advancement, it is essential that new technologies be introduced with safety as a priority.

The agency elaborated: "The recognition of the temporary type approval for the FSD (Supervised) system is a concrete example of how new technologies can be gradually integrated into the transport system under appropriate regulatory and safety oversight."