Tesla pushes Dutch regulator to hide Full Self-Driving safety data

The Netherlands vehicle authority RDW approved Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system but will not disclose the reasons or methods behind its safety assessment, citing Tesla's commercial‑secret claims. Email correspondence obtained by Reuters shows Tesla pressed RDW to keep the documentation confidential, arguing that public release would violate trade‑secret protections.

Tesla views the Dutch approval as crucial for expanding sales across Europe, where it faces strong competition from Chinese electric‑vehicle makers. While European regulators are generally more cautious than U.S. authorities, a Reuters investigation earlier this year found Tesla's self‑published FSD safety statistics to be highly exaggerated. RDW says it conducted its own extensive testing on closed tracks and public roads but has not detailed how performance or safety was measured.

European vehicle‑safety experts warn that the lack of transparency could endanger public safety. Oliver Carsten, a transportation‑safety professor at the University of Leeds, said, “I don’t see any reason why that couldn’t be public.” Frank Mutze of the European Transport Safety Council added that the public is left to trust that authorities “have done the right thing.”