Tesla’s most advanced semi-autonomous driving software is one big step closer to being unlocked for use on Australian roads – but there is still no firm date for its introduction, and the roll-out will be staggered.
Tesla has outlined the Australian introduction of the flagship tier of its semi-autonomous driving software – branded as ‘Full Self-Driving (Supervised)‘ – ahead of its rollout to customers for use on local roads, five years after it launched in the US.
But there is still no firm launch date for the technology, other than comments by Tesla to Australian and New Zealand media that it is “very close” to being unlocked in customer cars.
Full Self-Driving Supervised is not fully autonomous, and drivers still need to pay attention to the road ahead, ready to take over at any time – but in allowing them to not constantly apply steering input, it becomes the most advanced tech of its kind on local roads.
However, not all customers who have paid Tesla up to $10,100 for the system since 2017 will initially be able to use it, as the rollout will be conducted in stages, limited to newer vehicles built over the past 18 months to two years with upgraded ‘Hardware 4’ cameras.
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Owners of older Tesla vehicles with ‘Hardware 3’ cameras and sensors will require the newer technology to be retrofit by company technicians, details of which are yet to be confirmed.
It is estimated that only about 40,000 of the approximately 140,000 Tesla vehicles on Australian roads are fitted with the latest cameras needed to run Full Self-Driving.
Hardware 4 technology is fitted to the latest version of the Model 3, since its major update in late 2023, as well as Model Ys built from late January 2024.
It will be available for purchase outright as a $10,100 option, or through a subscription model, the price of which is yet to be confirmed.
In the US, the Full Self-Driving subscription is priced at $US99 ($AU152) per month. Newly-delivered vehicles in Australia will be handed over with a 30-day trial of the system.
Tesla customers – irrespective of vehicle hardware – have been able to purchase Full Self-Driving in Australia since 2017, under the promise that it will be activated through a free software update at a later date, once it is ready.
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The US car giant has ramped up local testing of Full Self-Driving in recent months, showing the system completing one of Melbourne’s infamous hook turns, and navigating Sydney’s CBD.
Australia and New Zealand will be the first right-hand-drive markets to offer the technology, and some of the first in the world irrespective of steering wheel position, joining a small club that includes the US, Canada and China.
It is marketed as ‘Full Self-Driving Supervised’, as it still requires the human behind the wheel to pay attention to the road ahead, and be ready to take control at any time, if required.
The driver is still legally in control of the vehicle in the event of a crash.
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However, ‘FSD’ is intended to allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel – using an in-car camera to watch their eyes and ensure they’re paying attention – unlike the most advanced features previously offered to Tesla owners in Australia.
These lesser systems – Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control – were innovative on debut a decade ago, but have since been matched by countless rivals, from Kia and Toyota, to BYD and BMW.
Full Self-Driving has been developed for use in all driving environments, rather than only on motorways, as with Tesla’s earlier technology.
The technology is used to power a new autonomous ‘robotaxi’ service Tesla has launched in the US city of Austin, Texas, with no human behind the wheel.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised Full Self-Driving is planned to drop the Supervised tag in selected regions – pending regulatory approval – by the end of this year, but the executive is known for setting timelines that do not eventuate.
The US car giant once claimed that all Teslas built since 2016 are equipped with the camera hardware needed for autonomous driving.
However, Musk has since been forced to backtrack, admitting millions of Hardware 3 (HW3)-equipped vehicles will need to be retrofitted with HW4 before the most up-to-date version of Full Self-Driving can be unlocked.
The inbound roll-out of Full Self-Driving locally – years behind potential early schedules – comes as Tesla faces a class-action lawsuit over claims “the hardware on Tesla vehicles is incapable of supporting fully autonomous or close to autonomous driving” despite the brand’s marketing.
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Its systems – mostly Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, branded as part of the Autopilot suite – have come under regular scrutiny from US regulators in recent years, after a slew of high-profile crashes.
The only feature in the $10,100 Full Self-Driving pack available to Australians to date has been 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 five-figure cost includes the contents of the $5100 Enhanced Autopilot option, which has unlocked automated lane changes and overtakes on the motorway, as well as auto parking features, for local buyers.
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