After the Netherlands became the first European country to approve Tesla's "full self-driving" technology, our colleagues at RTL.lu were granted exclusive access to test the system in Amsterdam.
Images of driverless taxis from the United States have already become familiar. More recently, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden was also able to see a "robotaxi" up close in San Francisco. It is likely only a matter of time before this technology arrives in Europe. RTL.lu correspondent Rich Simon was on the road in the Netherlands in a Tesla, where he effectively served only as a passenger.
On Friday, 10 April at 10pm, Tesla received approval from the Dutch government to operate its cars on public roads using "full self-driving." Shortly afterward, invitations were issued to the press to test the new technology. Tesla appeared eager to announce the news, and it is widely known that patience is not Elon Musk's strong suit. Until now, authorisations had only been in place for the US, Canada, China, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. The Netherlands is now the first country in Europe to permit autonomous driving with these vehicles.
Although it took some getting used to, the initial nervousness about keeping hands off the steering wheel and feet away from the pedals quickly subsided. The driver essentially does not need to do anything other than keep their eyes on the road and position their hands so they can intervene immediately if the situation requires it.
Over 150 kilometres around and through Amsterdam, our colleague did not have to intervene once. The Tesla Model Y recognised everything happening in its surroundings. For example, it handled the zip-merge system more smoothly than many human drivers. It adhered strictly to speed limits, although the driver always has the option to press the accelerator if they wish to go faster. The technology complied perfectly with the highway code. Throughout the entire test drive, the car never braked abruptly or reacted harshly in any way. Every steering correction was extremely fluid. However, to continuously improve the system, Tesla relies on data logged by its cars worldwide – totalling around 320 million kilometres per day.
A key question is that of responsibility. The answer is clear: the person behind the steering wheel remains liable in the event of an accident. This also carries important implications from an insurance perspective, and experts at various insurance companies are likely already busy working out fair deals for customers.
In principle, every Tesla model built from 2023 onwards can use the "full self-driving" system. However, the system is not free. As is often the case with Elon Musk's products, users must subscribe. The subscription costs €99 per month. Alternatively, customers can pay a one-off flat fee of €7,500 – though very few are expected to choose this option.
According to those responsible at Tesla, it is only a matter of time before other EU states, following the Netherlands, grant authorisations for autonomous driving across Europe. Prime Minister Luc Frieden saw for himself in the United States that the technology works.
