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This is our first look at Tesla's hands-free, eyes-on 'Full Self-Driving Supervised' technology working on Australian roads, but it's not available to customers just yet.
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Tesla's most advanced semi-autonomous driving system, known as Full Self-Driving, has made its first public appearance in a right-hand-drive car on Australian roads.
But there is still no word on when it will become available to local Tesla customers, many of whom have spent up to $10,100 on the tech under the promise it will be unlocked for road use "pending development and regulatory approval".
A video released by Tesla on X (formerly Twitter) today shows a car claimed to be running Full Self-Driving completing Melbourne's infamous 'hook turn', a manoeuvre common on roads with tram tracks that sees cars turn right from the left lane.
There is a human in the driver's seat, but they are not shown with their hands on the steering wheel as the car travels through Melbourne's CBD.
Despite its name, Tesla's Full Self-Driving is not a true autonomous technology, as it requires drivers to focus on the road – monitored by an in-car camera watching their eyes – because they are still legally in control of the vehicle.
It is a step beyond the features currently offered to Tesla customers in Australia, which require the driver to keep their hands on the wheel at all times, in addition to their eyes on the road.
They are also intended for motorways, rather than all types of roads, as Full Self-Driving is.
These systems, known as Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, are little different to the adaptive cruise and lane-centring systems offered on most new cars, including $30,000 Kias and BYDs.
Australia is the first right-hand-drive market to debut Full Self-Driving (FSD), after years of exclusivity to North America were recently followed by an expansion to China.
A launch in Europe has been hinted at repeatedly in recent months, pending regulatory approval.
Local customers have been able to purchase Full Self-Driving since 2017, even though it has never been allowed to be used in its full form on public roads.
Buyers of the feature – which has been priced at $10,100 for the past five years – have been promised that as soon as the technology is ready to use on Australian roads, it will be unlocked in a free software update.
It has been claimed that all Teslas built since 2016 are equipped with the camera hardware needed for autonomous driving, but Musk has since admitted millions of older vehicles will need to be upgraded before they can be let off the leash without driver supervision.
Musk claimed in June 2022 the Full Self-Driving software would be introduced on right-hand-drive Tesla cars in certain markets "probably later this year," but it never eventuated.
He suggested late last year the technology could become available in right-hand-drive markets in "late Q1, early Q2" this year, suggesting a March to May launch.
Along the way, the technology has been involved in recalls in the US to amend behaviour that "could potentially infringe upon local traffic laws".
Tesla semi-autonomous systems of all kinds – mostly its earlier Autopilot suite, which includes Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control – have come under scrutiny from US regulators following a slew of high-profile crashes.
It is marketed as FSD Supervised, as it still requires driver supervision, but Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk have claimed an unsupervised version will be rolled out in its home city of Austin, Texas next month.
The Tesla boss has claimed for the better part of a decade that a version of FSD capable of driving owners from door to door without human intervention is around the corner, but none of these promises have eventuated.
Teslas built in the US already drive themselves off the production line to the logistics holding yard without humans behind the wheel, but it is in close conditions.
One component of Full Self-Driving that is available to Australians is Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control, which allows the adaptive cruise control to recognise traffic lights and stop signs, and bring the vehicle to a halt as necessary.
The $10,100 FSD package also includes the contents of Enhanced Autopilot, a $5100 software pack that enables automated lane changes and overtakes on the motorway, as well as auto parking features.
It is on top of the basic Autopilot suite, which includes the Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control features, plus systems such as blind-spot monitoring.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
