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The most advanced semi-autonomous tech in Tesla's arsenal is finally available to use by Australian customers, but not everyone who has spent up to $12,000 on the system since 2017 can use it.
Tesla's most advanced semi-autonomous driving system, Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised, is finally available for use on public roads – including test drives at showrooms – by customers in Australia and New Zealand.
However, not everyone who has paid up to $12,000 – before inflation – for Tesla FSD since it went on sale in 2017 can use the tech, which allows for largely human-unassisted driving where conditions allow.
First to receive access to FSD Supervised starting today are Teslas with newer Hardware 4 cameras, covering Model 3s built since its major 'facelift' in September 2023, and Model Y SUVs produced since late January 2024.
Customers who have already paid $10,100 for the software will "wake in the morning, update their vehicles and drive to work with FSD (Supervised) activated," Tesla says, with the software installed through an 'over-the-air' update downloaded over Wi-Fi.
There is no timeline for owners of earlier Tesla vehicles with older camera and sensor technology, either Hardware 3 on most pre-2024 vehicles, or even Hardware 2 on Teslas built closer to FSD's Australian on-sale date in 2017.
It is estimated that only about 45,000 of the circa-145,000 Tesla vehicles sold in Australia are equipped with Hardware 4.
Owners of Hardware 4-equipped Teslas who are yet to purchase FSD can initially do so for $10,100 outright, with a monthly subscription planned to be offered at a later date, priced from $149.
It would take five years and eight months of continuous subscription before the total cost exceeds that of the outright purchase.
A 30-day free trial for newly-delivered Teslas is expected to become available at a later date, but details are yet to be confirmed.
Test drives of vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving at showrooms across Australia are due to commence today, Thursday, September 18.
The US electric-car giant is keen to stress that, despite the first part of its name, Full Self-Driving Supervised does not make the car fully autonomous.
The human behind the wheel is still required to pay attention to the road ahead at all times, ready to "take immediate action at any moment", as they remain legally in control of the car in the event of a crash.
As a result, it does not require special permits to be used on Australian roads, contrary to reports.
The technology will not necessarily beep at the driver should they take their hands off the steering wheel, provided the system believes the human is still "fully attentive", using an in-car camera watching their eyes.
Full Self-Driving has been developed for use in all driving environments, rather than only on motorways, as with Tesla's earlier Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control technology – features now matched by rival brands.
Tesla has been testing Full Self-Driving Supervised in Australia for at least two years, ramping up its development and calibration of the software on local roads in recent months, including showing it completing a hook turn in Melbourne's CBD.
A beta version of Full Self-Driving became available in the US in 2020, and has since been treated to rounds of over-the-air updates improving its functionality as drivers use the technology over "billions" of kilometres in real-world conditions.
Australia and New Zealand are the first right-hand-drive markets to offer FSD, after the left-hand-drive US, Canada and China. Testing of the technology has been conducted in Europe, the UK and Japan, but it has not been released to the public in those regions.
The $10,100 Full Self-Driving package on new Tesla vehicles sits above the $5100 Enhanced Autopilot option, which includes assisted lane changes and automatic parking.
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
