Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ technology is set to become fully autonomous by 2025, according to CEO Elon Musk. The current version of the software allows vehicles to drive themselves in certain conditions, but a human must remain behind the wheel. Musk claims that the need for human supervision will be dropped in certain US states from 2025, making Tesla potentially the first car maker to sell truly autonomous vehicles.
Current Status of Autonomous Technology
The current iteration of ‘Full Self-Driving’ offered in the US is considered a ‘Level 2’ system, as the human is still legally in control of the vehicle. Level 3 technology, available in some Mercedes-Benz and BMW models, allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel in specific locations, but they must be ready to retake control when needed.
Future Plans for Autonomous Driving
Musk stated that Tesla’s camera technology, already fitted to every car they make, will enable unsupervised Full Self-Driving. “We do expect to start fully autonomous, unsupervised FSD in Texas and California next year,” he said. The technology will initially be classed as ‘Level 4’ as it’s limited to certain US states but will achieve ‘Level 5’ status once available across the US.
Implications and Challenges
The unsupervised version of Tesla Full Self-Driving is crucial for the Cybercab, a two-seat autonomous electric taxi planned to hit US roads in 2026. Musk admitted he’s “a little optimistic with timeframes,” having made similar claims about autonomous functionality since 2019. The technology’s rollout will begin in Texas and California before expanding globally, though it’s still uncertain when it will be available in countries like Australia due to regulatory hurdles.
Musk highlighted the vast amount of data collected from Tesla’s global fleet trains its autonomous driving technology, saying, “It’s like living millions of lives simultaneously, and seeing very unusual situations that a person in their entire lifetime would not see.” This data is expected to make Tesla’s autonomous system significantly safer than human drivers.
