Tesla ‘Full Self-Driving' Australian testing officially confirmed
Electric vehicle maker Tesla has confirmed it is now testing its Full Self-Driving (FSD) semi-autonomous technology in Australia, revealing the news https://x.com/Tesla_AI/status/1923247156447871403 owned by its CEO Elon Musk.
The post by Tesla AI, shared by Tesla Australia and New Zealand, showed what appears to be a Tesla Model 3 sedan using FSD to perform an infamous Melbourne 'hook turn' as it drives through the Victorian capital's central business district using the system.
A human driver is clearly seen, as is the central display showing the surroundings of the vehicle as it navigates city traffic, including other cars, pedestrians, cyclists and of course trams, in a journey lasting longer than the sped-up video's nearly two-minute length.
Tesla first began testing its FSD system locally in January 2023 – or earlier – but the automaker's Australian division had not officially confirmed testing on local roads until now.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
The FSD technology cannot legally be used by the public on Australian roads and is currently not available to Tesla owners even if their vehicle has the capability.
Some Australian customers have paid as much as $10,100 to have access to the Tesla FSD Beta technology in their vehicle via a software update once it has been legally approved for testing on public roads.
Tesla owners in Australia – as well as Belgium and Germany – were among the first outside the US to be able to reserve the system in their cars.
Local release timing for FSD has not been revealed, but following the automaker's acknowledgement of local testing the system could be introduced more broadly here this year.
Tesla's FSD system was first offered to selected owners in the US in October 2020, before it was rolled out to all North American Tesla customers in November 2022.
In January 2025, the Artificial Intelligence division of Tesla posted a clip on social media showing Model Ys and Model 3s driving out of the Fremont factory where they're built into dock lanes awaiting shipment.
The tech was anticipated to be in right-hand drive Tesla vehicles – including those sold in Australia – in 2023. However, the timing was postponed and Mr Musk's latest comments suggest a launch in the first half of 2025.
Mr Musk claimed FSD capability was built-in to every Tesla produced since 2016, however, he was forced to backtrack on that claim earlier this year, when he admitted that millions of vehicles will need hardware upgrades to use the tech.
The system is different to the EV brand's Autopilot system, which is not offered in Australia but is fitted to Teslas in the US made from 2014. It includes functions now also offered by other automakers as part of their ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) tech suites.
They include Traffic Aware Cruise Control, which functions in the same way as adaptive cruise control but uses cameras, as well as Auto Lane Change, which is also know as lane centering in cars from other brands.
An Enhanced Autopilot system includes Dumb Summon, which moves a vehicle on or out of a tight parking space by using the key fob.
It also adds Actually Smart Summon, which according to Tesla can 'navigate more complex environments and parking spaces, maneuvering around objects as necessary to come find you in a car park'.
Tesla is looking to rebound from its first annual sales decline in 2024, after an even more difficult start to 2025 which saw bigger sales slumps and calls from employees for Musk to step down as CEO.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Elon Musk dissatisfied with Trump's ‘unsustainable' Big Beautiful Bill
Former foreign affairs and defence committee chair Michael Danby discusses Elon Musk's dissatisfaction with US President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill'. 'It's the same problem as here … all levels we've got unsustainable debt,' Mr Danby told Sky News host Peta Credlin. 'There are a lot of Republicans who will eventually stand up to the President on these kinds of issues, not just Musk.'
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
NT cattlemen dealt blow in compensation push over Gillard government live export ban after judge shoots down $600 million claim
Northern Territory cattlemen have been dealt a blow in their bid for compensation over the Gillard government's decision to ban live cattle exports in 2011. The federal court has ruled the government is only liable for the loss of income suffered in one year, not three years as sought by the cattlemen. Former Labor agriculture minister Joe Ludwig announced the ban on June 7, 2011. It was lifted on July 6 the same year, but cattlemen argued the impact of the decision lasted far longer as the relationship between Australia and Indonesia soured. The ban followed an investigation by Animals Australia and Four Corners into the treatment of cattle in Indonesian abattoirs, that prompted large protest rallies in Melbourne and Sydney. The cattlemen launched a class action over the decision arguing it had cost them up to $600 million across the supply chain. In 2020, Federal Court justice Steven Rares ruled in favour of the lead applicant, the Brett Cattle Company. Justice Rares found Senator Ludwig had acted recklessly when he implemented the ban, as he awarded the company $2.94 million in damages. For the past five years, the cattlemen and the federal government have been locked in legal argument about how much compensation should be paid to the other members of the class action. The government made an offer of $215 million to settle the case, saying the ban had only affected the export of about 88,000 head of cattle in 2011. The cattlemen rejected the offer, arguing the ban impacted the number of cattle Indonesia would except from 2011 until 2013 as they sought up to $600 million in compensation. But late on Thursday, Justice Thomas Thawley ruled the quota of cattle accepted by Indonesia had only been impacted in 2011. He said a drop in the quota in 2012 and 2013 was due to the Indonesian government's policy to pursue greater self-sufficiency in its beef market, not because of the fallout from the Australian government's 2011 ban. His decision means the amount of compensation awarded is likely to be closer to the government's $215 million offer, than the $600 million the cattlemen had sought. Justice Thawley placed a 48-hour embargo on the publication of the full reasons for his decision. In a statement NT Cattlemen's Association chief executive officer Romy Carey acknowledged the court's decision. 'While the judgment marks a significant milestone in a legal battle that has spanned more than a decade, we are still working through the detail and assessing its full implications both for the families directly affected and the wider cattle industry,' she said. 'At the request of the Commonwealth, the Federal Court has placed the reasons for judgment under a 48-hour embargo. 'Accordingly, we have not yet been provided with access to the full decision and will refrain from further comment until we are in a position to respond responsibly and with the complete facts before us.'
AU Financial Review
2 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
Shein shifts Australian marketplace to Singapore, raising tax question
Shein, the Chinese online fast fashion giant that has expanded rapidly with low prices and an enormous range of merchandise, has set up a new vehicle in Singapore that will run its Australian marketplace, raising questions about whether the company will use the structure to avoid goods and services taxes. The new entity is known as Wonderflow Support, and will support the company's broader business, Shein said. Shein has one of the most downloaded mobile apps in the world and has grown quickly as a favoured destination for online shoppers, in particular Gen Z consumers.
