EVwire brief: Tesla could begin Full Self-Driving (FSD) testing on public roads in Belgium as soon as this week, following a joint announcement from Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder and Federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke.
De Ridder said Tesla's FSD system will undergo approximately 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) of testing across Flanders to evaluate how the software handles Belgian traffic rules and road infrastructure.
As per De Ridder, Tesla can start FSD Supervised tests on Belgian roads quickly.
In principle, Tesla can start testing themselves tomorrow, with our administration monitoring this closely.
She also highlighted the effort on X:
Context:
Belgium's testing program will build directly on more than a year of FSD testing data already gathered in the Netherlands, where Tesla previously secured provisional authorization through a European derogation process.
Belgian authorities said FSD Supervised’s Dutch experience means testing does not need to start from scratch.
Type approval and testing fall under Flemish authority, while the federal government handles authorization for public road testing. This fast-tracks the process without compromising safety oversight.
As per the Ministers:
If the results are positive, work can quickly be done on a provisional European type approval that is valid across the entire Belgian territory.
Tesla expects FSD Supervised to see widespread European approval this year
Belgian officials signal openness for FSD Supervised
Both ministers were notably direct about their intent to move quickly. Federal Minister Crucke framed the government's position as one of enabling innovation within a strict safety framework.
Given the knowledge already available today, it seems appropriate to remove as many obstacles as possible to make this innovation possible in our country as well.
De Ridder echoed the sentiment, adding that Belgian authorities expect the process to move fast.
"We assume that the tests will proceed smoothly and that we will soon see these cars driving around on our roads," she said.
Source: Annick De Ridder
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