Tesla has recently made its first delivery of its Model 3 cars in Europe, but customers who paid for the company’s Autopilot driver assistance package won’t be able to use it for now, according to the Los Angeles Times. Autopilot is currently disabled because the company is awaiting approval for the driver assistance package from RDW, the vehicle authority in the Netherlands.
Telsa announced in January that it had received type approval in Europe for the Model 3, which means the car had been cleared by regulators to be sold across the European Union. But a spokesperson for RDW told the Times on Thursday that Autopilot wasn’t part of that approval even though the company sells the Model S and Model X in Europe with Autopilot as an option.
A spokesperson for Tesla said in a statement that the company is “planning to enable Autopilot in Europe beginning next week” for the Model 3. The company says all necessary tests have been completed, but that the approval is still being processed. RDW did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tesla was still allowing customers in Europe to elect the roughly $6,000 Autopilot option on Thursday, according to the Times.
CEO Elon Musk said last week during a call with investors that essentially every Model 3 being made right now in California is destined for either Europe or China. Tesla recently announced its second round of layoffs in the past year which, combined with pushing the Model 3 into these new markets, the company believes will allow it to turn a profit going forward.
Tesla has made its first deliver in Europe but couldn’t deliver as much as it was required the company has said that it will make another delivery very soon.
