The Netherlands' infrastructure minister, Vincent Karremans, rejected claims that the RDW based its April 10 approval of Tesla's "Full Self Driving (supervised)" software on statistics supplied by Tesla. The RDW has proposed EU-wide approval, triggering preliminary clearances in several member states. Karremans said Teslas with FSD have logged 24 million miles in the Netherlands without "noteworthy incident," while Tesla reported 23.6 million kilometres (15 million miles) and three collisions on smaller roads; the RDW could not immediately confirm the mileage figures.
Dutch Minister Denies RDW Relied on Tesla Data in FSD Approval
FILE PHOTO: Tesla enthusiast Kees Roelandschap drives around hands-free with his electric car in the city of Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM, June 16 — The Netherlands' minister for infrastructure, Vincent Karremans, on Tuesday rejected suggestions that the country's vehicle authority, the RDW, relied on safety statistics supplied by Tesla when approving the company's "Full Self Driving (supervised)" software for use on Dutch roads.
The RDW granted approval for the Tesla system on April 10 — a European first — saying it believed the software would make a positive contribution to road safety. The agency has also proposed that the European Union approve the system across its 27 member states, a move that has since coincided with preliminary clearances in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania.
Karremans was questioned in parliament after a Reuters report said Tesla had presented misleading safety statistics to the RDW and other European regulators while seeking approval. The minister acknowledged that figures supplied by Tesla could be scrutinised, but he insisted they were not the basis for the RDW's decision.
"We have asked the RDW about that, and the answer is that this was not the case," Karremans said, adding that the RDW's approval rested on its own "independently verified testing."
Minister Says No Incidents Yet
Tesla's Full Self Driving is a driver-assistance suite that can command a vehicle to accelerate, brake and steer while drivers are required to keep their eyes on the road and be ready to take over control.
Karremans told lawmakers that Teslas operating with the FSD system had accumulated 24 million miles on Dutch roads so far "without any noteworthy incident." That figure broadly aligns with Tesla Europe's public statement on X (posted June 9), which said vehicles running the software covered 23.6 million kilometres (15 million miles) in the Netherlands between April 10 and June 5, reporting no highway collisions and three collisions on smaller roads during that period.
There is a notable discrepancy in the reported totals and units: the minister cited 24 million miles, while Tesla reported 23.6 million kilometres (about 15 million miles). The RDW said it could not immediately confirm Tesla's mileage numbers and reiterated that it does not base approvals solely on manufacturer-submitted data.
"The RDW takes note of all information provided by manufacturers but bases its decisions solely on an independent, comprehensive assessment in accordance with European regulations," the agency said in an emailed response to Reuters.
(Reporting by Toby Sterling; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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