Aidoptation Receives Approval for First Fully Autonomous Driving Tests on Highways in the European Union

The Limburg-based autonomous vehicle technology company has received authorization from Belgian authorities to test fully autonomous (Level 4) driving on public highways up to the 120kph speed limit. A first milestone in the EU for testing life-saving autonomous technology in high-speed scenarios where road accidents are most severe.

Aidoptation BV, the autonomous vehicle technology company headquartered at DronePort in Sint-Truiden, has received official approval from the Federal Public Service Mobility (FOD) and Transport and the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV) to conduct fully autonomous driving tests on public highways. The permit covers 100 km on the E313 and E314 highways in the province of Limburg, and marks the first time a Level 4 fully autonomous driving system will be tested at highway speeds on public roads in the European Union.

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Our car driving on the highway (in manual mode).

Within the global automotive industry, Level 4 is defined as autonomous driving capable of performing all driving tasks and monitoring the environment without any human intervention. This level of autonomy is distinct from the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that have been tested by several automakers (OEMs) in the European Union, including Tesla FSD, which is classified as Level 2 requiring constant driver supervision; the human driver remains legally liable for the vehicle's actions. The testing will be conducted using the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore electric vehicle platform, which Aidoptation has equipped with LiDAR, radar, and camera sensors, as well as robotics hardware, to enable full autonomous driving at highway speeds.

The permit approval is a decisive step in Aidoptation’s mission to develop life-saving autonomous driving technology for the most severe category of road accidents: high-speed crashes on motorways, where at 120 km/h a vehicle covers more than 50 meters in the 1.5 seconds it takes an average driver to react. Accidents at such speeds are rare but often result in death or severe injuries, roadway closures, and loss of property and infrastructure. Safely managing obstacles and crash-avoidance maneuvers, known as “edge-cases” at highway speeds, remains a key step toward unlocking the full potential of autonomous driving technologies.

Aidoptation and EdgeDrive

Aidoptation was founded in 2025 as a commercial spin-off of the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), the world’s first autonomous racing competition based in the United States. The company’s engineering team set the world autonomous speed record of 318 km/h (197.7 mph) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida using a production Maserati MC20 with no human driver on board. Aidoptation’s first commercial product, called EdgeDrive, is a Level 4 fully autonomous driving platform built specifically for highway operation at speeds of 120 km/h and above (where speed limits allow). It provides consistent and safe autonomous driving operations when it is most beneficial, where human reaction time, vehicle stability, and low tire grip conditions can reach their limits, dramatically increasing the risk of an accident. EdgeDrive uses first-principles-based deterministic models to reliably handle safety-critical scenarios: emergency maneuvers, sudden obstacle avoidance, and high-speed hazard response. With no AI involved in decision-making, driving results are fully traceable and auditable, ensuring transparency for regulators and insurers. Adaptation will offer EdgeDrive as a separate, or integrated, proven safety module to automotive OEMs and robotaxi customers seeking to expand their ODD (Operational Design Domain) for Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous vehicles to highways.

The importance of real-world testing

Testing on public highways is a critical step in the development of safe and reliable autonomous driving systems. To prepare for and secure a permit, Aidoptation has spent a year conducting extensive real-world testing of its high-speed autonomous driving technology across a wide range of weather and driving conditions at multiple sites in Belgium, including Ford Lommel Proving Grounds, DronePort runway, Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps and Circuit Zolder. The permit to test on highways in Belgium enables Aidoptation to validate its autonomous driving technology, including EdgeDrive, in real-world traffic conditions, complementing the extensive ongoing testing at proving grounds and tracks. Testing will be conducted in a phased approach under strict operational and safety protocols agreed with the Belgian authorities, which includes a human safety driver supervising who is able to take control of the vehicle at any time while testing. The project is insured by Ethias, one of Belgium’s leading insurers, whose support underpins the safe and responsible conduct of testing on public roads.

“Being the first to test fully autonomous Level 4 technology on EU highways is a milestone moment for Aidoptation, the Belgian innovation ecosystem, and the broader autonomous driving industry. Autonomous driving has enormous potential to improve safety and mobility, but commercial adoption will depend on demonstrating safe performance in the most demanding highway scenarios. Testing on public highways will generate invaluable real-world data, validate our technology, and advance our mission of reducing fatalities and making highways safer for everyone.” – Paul Mitchell, CEO of Aidoptation

“As a Belgian insurer and partner to thousands of public institutions, local authorities and emergency services, we see every day just how essential safety and mobility are to society. That is why we invest in companies such as Aidoptation. Its technology has the potential to make our roads safer and help prevent road casualties. At the same time, Aidoptation demonstrates how Belgium can develop new areas of economic strength in advanced mobility technology. In this way, we combine social impact with investment in the future of our country.” – Philippe Lallemand, CEO of Ethias

“Innovation on our roads must first and foremost contribute to greater safety and economic progress. With companies such as Aidoptation, Flanders not only possesses strong expertise and technological ingenuity, but we are also putting that knowledge into practice on the road. By enabling testing under real-world conditions, we are developing concrete solutions that can save lives while strengthening our position as a European leader in smart mobility.” – Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of Flanders

"Autonomous driving is no longer science fiction. Around the world, we are reaching a tipping point, and Flanders should not merely follow; it should lead. We have the expertise, the companies, and the ambition to be at the forefront. The fact that Aidoptation can now conduct testing on the E313 and E314 motorways demonstrates that Flanders is a place where innovation does not remain confined to ideas, but finds its way into real-world application." – Annick De Ridder, Minister for Mobility of Flanders

About Aidoptation

Aidoptation BV is a Belgian autonomous vehicle software company, founded in 2025 as a commercial spin-off of the Indy Autonomous Challenge. Based at DronePort Sint-Truiden, the company develops EdgeDrive, an autonomous driving software platform designed to make high-speed highway driving safer. Aidoptation is backed by LRM, SFPIM, Ethias Ventures, and Belfius Bank.

www.aidoptation.com

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