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Tesla’s new Tilburg site hints at new storage and parts center ahead of Model 3 EU push
Tesla appears to be expanding its activities in Tilburg, Netherlands, as the company has acquired a third major facility in the region. The yet-to-be announced complex spans 387,500 square feet (36,000 square meters) and is located at Vossenbergseweg, close to Tesla’s assembly plant and delivery center.
The electric car maker’s activities were initially shared online by Tesla owner-enthusiast Hans Noordsij, who noted that he was tipped off about the facility recently. Tesla has so far been tight-lipped about the purpose of the new site, with local news publication AD.nl reportedly being unable to get information about the new facility from the electric car maker. In a statement to Teslarati, Hans noted that when he inquired about the new site during a service appointment for his Model S, Tesla’s staff at the service center also declined to confirm the purpose of the facility.
- Tesla’s new Tilburg, NL site. [Credit: Hans Noordsij/Twitter]
- Tesla’s new Tilburg, NL site. [Credit: Hans Noordsij/Twitter]
- Tesla’s new Tilburg, NL site. [Credit: Hans Noordsij/Twitter]
- Tesla’s new Tilburg, NL site. [Credit: Hans Noordsij/Twitter]
Tesla’s new Tilburg, NL site. [Credit: Hans Noordsij/Twitter]
While the nature of the new site remains unannounced, there seems to be a good chance that the 387,500-square-foot facility would be utilized to prepare for the likely influx of vehicles to the region resulting from the upcoming Model 3 push. Considering that Tesla has an assembly and delivery plant, as well as a sales and service center, in Tilburg, the new facility could serve as a location where parts for vehicles would be stored and distributed. Hans, for his part, noted that Tesla already adopts this strategy today, but on a far smaller scale.
As more electric cars saturate the NL and nearby areas, the company would need a stronger service system that can cater to the growing fleet. This is particularly true with regards to the impending arrival of the Model 3, which is expected to begin deliveries in the region sometime next year. Having a dedicated site for electric car parts distribution would ultimately help Tesla in its push to improve the ramp of its in-house service centers, which are capable of addressing repairs in short periods of time.
In some regions such as Norway, after all, Tesla is currently struggling to expand its service facilities, resulting in some electric car owners experiencing long wait times before even minor repairs are addressed. Elon Musk personally addressed this on Twitter last July, stating that owners are “right to be upset with Tesla” considering the company’s incapability to have vehicles repaired in a timely manner.
- The site of Tesla’s new facility in Tilburg, NL. [Credit: Hans Noordsij/Twitter]
- Tesla’s new Tilburg site. [Credit: Ben Ackermans/BD]
Tesla’s third Tilburg, NL site could play a vital role in the upcoming Model 3 push in the region.
If Tesla’s initiatives in the United States are any indication, though, the company appears to have found a solution to drastically reduce the waiting times for vehicle repairs. Through the use of in-house service centers, Tesla is now starting to attain shorter turnaround times for vehicles’ service and repairs. One such instance was shared earlier this month by the owners of the LikeTesla YouTube channel, whose Model 3 was involved in an accident. Utilizing an in-house service center, the Model 3 owners were able to get their electric sedan fully repaired — complete with a new bumper, a new headlight, a new front fender — in just 25 hours.
Tesla does not intend to stop there. In an update on Twitter last August, Elon Musk noted that Tesla is aiming to achieve same-day body repairs using pre-stocked parts at service centers. With this in mind, Tesla’s new Tilburg facility could be a sign that quicker turnaround times for vehicle repairs in the region could be just around the corner.
Elon Musk
Tesla scales back driver monitoring with latest Full Self-Driving release
Tesla has scaled back driver monitoring to be less naggy with the latest version of the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) suite, which is version 14.3.3.
The latest version is already earning praise from owners, who are reporting that the suite is far less invasive when it comes to keeping drivers from taking their eyes off the road. The first to mention it was notable Tesla community member on X known as Zack, or BLKMDL3.
14.3.3 nags less too https://t.co/IuiWzuYO6O
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2026
Musk confirmed that v14.3.3 was made to nag drivers significantly less, something that Tesla has worked toward in the past and has said with previous versions that it is less likely to push drivers to look ahead, at least after looking away for a few seconds.
This refinement aligns with Tesla’s ongoing push toward unsupervised FSD. The update also brings faster Actual Smart Summon (now up to 8 mph), reliable “Hey Grok” voice commands, richer visualizations, smoother Mad Max acceleration, and an intervention streak counter that rewards consistent use. Reviewers describe the drive as more human-like and confident, with fewer twitches or unnecessary maneuvers.
Musk has repeatedly signaled this direction. In late 2025, he stated that FSD would allow phone use “depending on context of surrounding traffic,” noting safety data would justify relaxing rules so drivers could text in low-risk scenarios like stop-and-go traffic.
We tested this, and even still, the cell phone monitoring really seems to be less active in terms of alerting drivers:
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.1 texting and driving: we tested it
Earlier, ahead of v14, Musk promised the system would “nag the driver much less” once safety metrics improved.
In 2023, he confirmed the steering wheel torque nag would be “gradually reduced, proportionate to improved safety,” shifting reliance to the cabin camera. Subsequent updates like v13.2.9 and v12.4 further loosened monitoring, cracking down on workarounds while easing legitimate distractions.
These steps reflect Tesla’s data-driven approach: FSD’s safety record—reportedly averaging millions of miles per crash—now outpaces human drivers in many scenarios, giving the company confidence to dial back interventions. Reduced nags improve usability and trust, encouraging more drivers to rely on the system rather than disengaging out of frustration.
However, there are certainly still some concerns. In many states, it is illegal to handle a cell phone in any way, requiring the use of hands-free devices. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to use your cell phone at stop lights, which is definitely a step further than using it while the car is actively in motion.
v14.3.3 represents tangible progress. Making FSD less adversarial and more seamless is definitely a step forward, but drivers need to be aware of the dangers of distracted driving. FSD is extremely capable, but it is in no way fully autonomous, nor does its performance warrant owners to take their attention off the road.
News
Tesla Full Self-Driving expands in Europe, entering its second country
Tesla has officially expanded its Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite in Europe once again, as it will now be offered to customer vehicles in Lithuania, marking a significant milestone as the second European Union country to offer the system.
Tesla confirmed FSD’s rollout in Lithuania this morning:
FSD Supervised now rolling out to Teslas in Lithuania 🇱🇹!
Making European roads safer, one by one pic.twitter.com/Uuj0bNG7pP
— Tesla Europe, Middle East & Africa (@teslaeurope) May 20, 2026
Tesla showed several clips of Full Self-Driving navigation in Lithuania to mark the announcement, while Lithuanian Transport Minister Juras Taminskas highlighted the system’s potential to assist with lane-keeping, speed adjustment, and traffic tasks on longer drives, while emphasizing that drivers must stay alert and ready to intervene.
Just a few weeks ago, Tesla officially entered Europe with Full Self-Driving in the Netherlands. The expansion of FSD on the continent is now officially underway.
Full Self-Driving’s European Journey
Europe has long posed one of the toughest regulatory challenges for Tesla’s autonomy ambitions due to stringent safety standards under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) framework, particularly UN Regulation 171 for Driver Control Assistance Systems.
The Netherlands’ RDW authority granted the pioneering approval after over 18 months of rigorous testing, including 1.6 million kilometers on European roads and extensive data submissions.
This approval enables mutual recognition across the EU, allowing other member states to adopt it nationally without full re-testing. Lithuania quickly leveraged this mechanism, becoming the second adopter. Tesla positions FSD Supervised as a tool to incrementally improve road safety, with the company claiming it reduces incidents when used properly.
Bottlenecks slowing broader European deployment include fragmented national regulations, varying levels of regulatory skepticism, and requirements for robust driver monitoring. Some EU officials have raised concerns about performance in adverse conditions like icy roads or speeding scenarios, alongside frustrations over Tesla’s public advocacy approach.
Additional hurdles involve data privacy, liability frameworks, and the need for EU-wide harmonization. While countries like Belgium appear to be fast-tracking adoption, larger markets such as Germany, France, and Italy are expected to follow in the coming months, with potential EU-wide progress targeted for later in 2026.
Tesla Full Self-Driving Across the World
As of May, Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is available in approximately ten countries.
In North America, it has been live for years in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Asia-Pacific additions include Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, while China utilizes what Tesla calls “City Autopilot.” In Europe, the Netherlands and now Lithuania join the list, with more countries mulling the possibility of also approving FSD.
Tesla offers FSD via monthly subscriptions (around €99 in Europe) or one-time purchases (with deadlines approaching in many markets), shifting toward recurring revenue models. Today is the final day Europeans will be able to purchase the suite outright.
This expansion underscores Tesla’s push for global autonomy, starting with supervised and building toward greater capabilities. With Lithuania now online, momentum is building across Europe, though regulatory caution will continue shaping the pace. Owners in approved regions report smoother highway and urban driving, but the system remains Level 2, which requires human oversight.
Elon Musk
Tesla ditches India after years of broken promises
Tesla has ditched its plans to build a factory in India after years of failed negotiations.
Tesla’s long-running effort to establish a manufacturing presence in India is officially over. India’s Minister of Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy confirmed on May 19, 2026 that Tesla has informed authorities it will not proceed with a manufacturing facility in the country.
Tesla first signaled serious interest in India around 2021, when it began hiring local staff and lobbying the Indian government for lower import tariffs. The ask was straightforward: reduce duties enough for Tesla to test the market with imported vehicles before committing capital to a local factory. India’s position was equally firm, with an ask of Tesla to commit to manufacturing first, then receive tariff relief. Neither side moved, and the talks quietly collapsed.
Tesla to open first India experience center in Mumbai on July 15
India had offered a policy that would reduce import duties from 110% down to 15% on EVs priced above $35,000, provided companies committed at least $500 million toward local manufacturing investment within three years. Tesla declined to participate. The tariff standoff was only part of the problem. Analysts pointed to significant gaps in India’s local supply chain, inadequate industrial infrastructure, and a mismatch between Tesla’s premium pricing and the purchasing power of India’s automotive market as additional factors that made the investment difficult to justify.
First signs of an unraveling relationship came in April 2024, when Musk abruptly cancelled a planned trip to India where he was set to meet Prime Minister Modi and announce Tesla’s market entry. By July 2024, Fortune reported that Tesla executives had stopped contacting Indian government officials entirely. The government at that point understood Tesla had capital constraints and no plans to invest.
The more fundamental issue is that Tesla’s existing factories are currently operating at approximately 60% capacity, making a commitment to building new manufacturing capacity in a new market difficult to defend to investors. Tesla will continue selling imported Model Y vehicles through its existing showrooms in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram, and Bengaluru, but local production is no longer part of the plan.





