Europe Finally Says 'Yes' to FSD

Tesla has finally cracked the European regulatory fortress. The Dutch vehicle authority, RDW, approved version 2026.3.6 of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) on April 10, 2026 The Next Web. This makes the Netherlands the first European nation to authorize the system under UN Regulation 171, the EU standard for driver control assistance Yahoo Finance. The approval follows 18 months of rigorous testing involving 1.6 million kilometers of European road data and 4,500 closed-track tests The Next Web.

While this is a milestone, it isn't a free-for-all. To satisfy strict EU safety frameworks, Tesla is implementing a mandatory in-car tutorial and safety quiz before Dutch owners can engage the software Not a Tesla App. The system enforces driver attention via eye-tracking cameras and haptic alerts The Next Web. In terms of pricing, FSD Supervised will cost Dutch users €99 per month or a €7,500 flat purchase fee Yahoo Finance. Expect a domino effect: Germany, France, and Italy are projected to issue national recognitions within four to eight weeks, with full EU-wide coverage targeted for summer 2026 The Next Web.

Out with the Old, In with the Bots

Tesla is officially sunsetting the pioneers. The Model S and Model X, which established Tesla’s luxury dominance over a decade ago, are being retired to free up factory floor space for the Optimus humanoid robot Business Insider. Before the lines go cold, Tesla is releasing 250 invite-only "Signature" Model S units priced at $159,420—a premium of roughly $60,000 over standard pricing Business Insider.

These collector units feature gold badges, gold carbon-ceramic brakes, and a unique "garnet red" paint job Business Insider. This move signals a hard pivot in Tesla’s identity from an EV manufacturer to a robotics and AI powerhouse. Elon Musk previously indicated that only a "few hundred" S and X units remained in stock before the total transition to the new product roadmap Business Insider.

The $25,000 Threat: Slate Auto Scales Up

While Tesla moves up-market into robotics, Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto is diving into the low-end vacuum Tesla left behind. Slate closed a $650 million Series C round today led by TWG Global, bringing its total capital raised to $1.4 billion TechCrunch. The startup aims to produce a $25,000 electric truck—the "Slate Truck"—composed of just 600 parts, roughly a tenth of a traditional pickup Ars Technica.

Slate has already amassed 160,000 refundable reservations, despite a general cooling in U.S. EV demand MLQ.ai. Production is slated for late 2026 at a repurposed factory in Warsaw, Indiana, which is expected to create 2,000 jobs Design and Development Today. Interestingly, Slate is playing nice with the incumbent; their trucks will feature a standard NACS port for access to the Tesla Supercharger network Design and Development Today.

Market Watch

TSLA stock is currently trading near its Friday close of $350.94, where it gained 0.57% Yahoo Finance. Despite the European FSD news, the stock remains down 22% year-to-date as geopolitical tensions weigh on the broader tech sector Barron's. Analysts remain divided but aggressive: Bank of America’s Alexander Perry recently reinstated Tesla with a Buy rating and a $460 price target, citing Tesla’s massive cost advantage in robotaxis Yahoo Finance. Perry estimates a Tesla robotaxi costs $40,000 to build, compared to $150,000 for a LiDAR-heavy Waymo vehicle Yahoo Finance.