Tesla Approaching Final Verification Phase Before Launching Full Self-Driving in Australia
Tesla, the pioneering electric vehicle company, is set to roll out its Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in Australia soon, following successful demonstrations in Sydney and Melbourne. The phased releases will initially focus on vehicles equipped with the latest Hardware 4 (HW4) platform.
Thom Drew, Tesla's Country Director for Australia, confirmed that the company is prioritising bringing the supervised version of FSD to Australian customers as soon as the validation process is complete. This update follows Tesla's first public test of FSD in Australia, which took place in Melbourne on May 15, 2025.
During the Melbourne demonstration, a right-hand drive Model 3 navigated complex city streets, including "hook turns" at tram intersections, showcasing Tesla's readiness to make Australia one of the first right-hand drive markets to experience FSD.
Regulatory approval is no longer an obstacle for FSD in Australia, as confirmed by Thom Drew. The absence of regulatory hurdles marks a significant milestone for Tesla in Australia. The company's global engineering team is adapting FSD for local conditions, including calibrations for right-hand drive vehicles and unique driving environments like shared roadways with trams and specific lane-marking patterns.
Tesla's FSD rollout in Australia is in the final stages of validation. The company expects to begin phased releases of FSD (Supervised) soon. While a specific rollout timeline has not been announced, the ongoing autonomous developments at Tesla suggest that the launch could be imminent.
Currently, FSD is priced at AU$10,100 (C$9,100/US$6,600) in Australia, making it one of the most competitive price points globally for the advanced driver-assistance suite. Tesla is also offering three months of Full Self-Driving (FSD) to those buying a Tesla through the company's referral link, providing an opportunity for potential customers to experience the technology firsthand.
As Tesla continues to refine its FSD system with software updates, such as the upcoming V12.4 update, and advances its autonomous capabilities, including the world's first fully autonomous vehicle delivery in the U.S., the launch of FSD in Australia represents a significant step forward for the company and the future of autonomous driving in the region.
[1] World's first fully autonomous vehicle delivery by Tesla: https://www.tesla.com/news/tesla-completes-worlds-first-fully-autonomous-ride-hail-with-tesla-network [2] Tesla's upcoming V12.4 update: https://www.tesla.com/news/tesla-releases-v12-4-software-update [3] Levels of automation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levels_of_automation_in_vehicles
The upcoming release of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature is not just limited to the automotive industry, as it will also impact the finance sector, given the price point competitiveness in Australia. Moreover, the advancement in technology, particularly in autonomous driving, is anticipated to revolutionize various industries, including transportation, with FSD's potential impact on shared roadways with trams and specific lane-marking patterns.
