Tesla expands Full Self-Driving access to Lithuania as European regulatory approvals accelerate
The rollout supports Musk’s $1 trillion compensation package targets, with Greece and Belgium expected to follow suit as Dutch regulator RDW seeks EU-wide certification acceptance.
Tesla has made its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software available in Lithuania, marking the second European nation to approve the system after the Netherlands. The expansion is a key component of CEO Elon Musk’s strategy to position the company as a leader in artificial intelligence and robotics, rather than solely an automotive manufacturer. This move follows the initial approval by Dutch regulator RDW last month, which paved the way for further European adoption.
The deployment carries significant financial implications for Musk, whose $1 trillion pay package is contingent on hitting specific product milestones, including achieving 10 million active Full Self-Driving subscriptions by 2035. According to Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call in April, the company currently has nearly 1.3 million paying customers globally for the feature, indicating a substantial gap remains before the 2035 target is met.
Full Self-Driving (Supervised) originally launched in beta in late 2020 and requires active driver supervision. The system is capable of handling complex driving maneuvers, including steering, lane changes, and parking. In January, Musk announced that access to the feature would be exclusively through a monthly subscription of $99, effectively ending the previous one-time fee option for owners.
Regulatory scrutiny in Europe has traditionally slowed deployment compared to the United States, but the process may accelerate if RDW succeeds in its bid for EU-wide acceptance. If other European countries recognise Dutch certification, the path to approval could become more streamlined. Belgium is expected to authorize the software using the same authorisation process overseen by RDW, while the Greek transport ministry has indicated that an upcoming bill will grant approval for the system.
Outside of Europe, the software is currently available in Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United States. While Tesla is developing other AI initiatives, such as the Optimus humanoid robot and FSD Unsupervised technology used in a small fleet of robotaxis in Texas, Full Self-Driving remains the only product currently available to a wide range of consumers.
