TSLA
Brussels says: nice try
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system is back in the European regulatory crosshairs after a Belgian road-safety group found it exceeded the legal speed limit on 16 of 29 Brussels road segments. On the stretches where it sped, it averaged 44 km/h in a 30 km/h zone — which is not exactly the kind of confidence-building demo you want two weeks before a potential EU vote.
Why this matters more than a bad test score
This isn’t just about one awkward drive around Brussels. Europe is already split on whether Tesla should get broader approval for FSD, and speed-limit compliance is one of the big sticking points. Sweden has reportedly threatened to oppose wider approval, France has raised concerns, and Tesla’s Dutch provisional approval could become the foundation for broader rollout across the region.
The stakes: Europe could be the gatekeeper
Reuters says a vote could come as early as October 6th, and approval would need at least 15 of the EU’s 27 member states representing 65% of the population. If the proposal gets rejected, the Dutch provisional approval could be revoked later — basically turning the whole European rollout into a bureaucratic Jenga tower.
Big picture
Tesla still argues FSD is safer than human drivers overall, and the company is betting its autonomy narrative can survive the regulatory side-eye. But when the car can’t reliably read a 30 km/h sign, regulators tend to get less “move fast and break things” and more “please stop breaking the rules.”