Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) has recently made a significant announcement regarding the approval of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) AI technology to operate on public roads in Estonia. This marks the third European country where Tesla has received approval for FSD, following earlier approvals in Lithuania and the Netherlands.
The approval process for Tesla FSD in individual countries is based on the regulations and procedures set by the Dutch authority RDW. While this is a significant step forward for Tesla, there is still a long road ahead before FSD AI can be deployed across the entire European region with a single approval.
The official announcement of the FSD approval in Estonia was made by Tesla yesterday, with the company confirming that the software rollout had not yet begun at the time of the announcement. Tesla owners in Estonia can expect to receive notifications to download the FSD software starting today.
In line with recent changes, Tesla has discontinued the outright purchase option for FSD, making a €99 per month subscription the only available option for Tesla owners who have not previously purchased the package. This shift in pricing may impact Tesla owners in Europe, where the outright purchase of FSD has historically been less common compared to subscription-based usage.
Despite the challenges of bringing FSD to Europe in recent years, Tesla has seen significant growth in the number of paid FSD users globally. During the Q1 2026 Earnings Call, Tesla disclosed that the number of paid FSD users has reached 1.3 million, with a majority opting for subscription-based usage. However, there has been a 7% increase in outright purchases of FSD in the first quarter.
One potential challenge for Tesla owners in Europe is that those with the legacy Hardware 3 (HW3) computer will not receive the latest FSD v14 updates. Tesla is currently rolling out FSD v14’s point releases exclusively to Hardware 4 (HW4/AI4)-equipped Teslas.
Overall, the approval of Tesla FSD in Estonia represents a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to expand the use of autonomous driving technology in Europe. As Tesla continues to navigate the regulatory landscape and technological challenges, the future of FSD in Europe looks promising. Stay tuned for more updates on Tesla’s FSD technology and its expansion in the region.