Elon Musk’s Tesla electric car company is renowned for its innovative technology. In a new move, the company has announced that Australian and New Zealand drivers will soon gain access to self-driving.
Already available in left-hand drive markets like the US, Canada and China, Aussie Tesla owners will be the first right-hand drivers in the world to gain access to the ‘Full Self Driving (supervised)’ feature.
The hands-off technology allows compatible Tesla vehicles to drive from point A to point B without any driver input. While some have told Yahoo News they think it’s a “great idea”, others have met the advancement with more trepidation.
The recently announced nationwide rollout has raised eyebrows among some car industry experts, with some who have already tried it out reporting drawbacks in the technology, and even several close calls.
Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility at Swinburne University, told Yahoo News that while the advancement is a “milestone” for Australia, he warned it doesn’t mean driverless cars have suddenly arrived.
“Full Self-Driving (FSD) can read the road, but it’s still more learner driver than seasoned professional,” he explained.
Elon Musk’s company Tesla has brought its pioneering self-driving technology to Australia. Source: Getty
How does Tesla’s Full Self Driving technology work?
The rollout of the technology will come as a software update for compatible vehicles, first the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. But it won’t come cheap, with the first recipients paying $10,100 for the software update.
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.
After recently trying out the technology at a publicity event in Brisbane, CarExpert.com.au founder Paul Maric described the experience as both “exciting and scary”.
Maric explained that before rolling out the technology, Tesla engineers spent “a lot of time” getting to know the specific intricacies of Australian roads. That meant learning Melbourne’s notorious hook turns, specific Australian road signs, school zones and carparks.
It works by relying on cameras and AI training to replicate human-like perception. Competitors like Waymo, the self-driving taxis famous in California, take a different approach by using radar and LiDAR.
Tesla made ‘slip-ups’ during car trial on Aussie road
Maric explained, “camera vision has its flaws”, and argues that “cameras aren’t as strong”. During his two-hour drive around Brisbane, Maric experienced a “couple of slip-ups”.
“It tried to send me the wrong way down the street into oncoming traffic,” he said, adding that it also “cut off a motorcyclist at a roundabout.”
In another anxious moment, a family of ducks crossed the road in front of Maric’s self-driving car, which he missed by inches.
“I don’t know if it entirely detected the ducks, but it did detect something on the road,” he said, explaining that the car did slow down momentarily.
Animal collisions are a major contributor to crashes on Australian roads. Yahoo News has previously reported that Tesla Vision, the technology that interprets information about the environment, is unable to recognise kangaroos on our roads.
“That’s something we’re going to test,” said Maric, who suspects that it is still the case.
Full autonomy in cars is still ‘far off’
Prof Dia explained that Tesla’s rollout doesn’t mean “driverless cars have suddenly arrived”.
He explained there are five stages of vehicle automation, and Tesla’s FSD sits at just stage two.
“The car can steer, accelerate, brake, change lanes, park itself and even recognise traffic lights and stop signs,” he said. While he described it as an “impressive step forward”, we’re still “very far” from full automation.
“Crucially, with FSD, the driver must keep eyes on the road and be ready to take over at any moment.
“Think of FSD as a learner driver: it can read the road, but it still needs an experienced driver watching closely. Or put another way — FSD is more like a smart trainee, quick to pick up signals, but not ready to drive solo.
“Despite the success to date, we still need fundamental breakthroughs in artificial intelligence before cars can truly drive themselves in all conditions without human supervision.”
Tesla drivers warned ‘liability remains with you’
This sentiment was echoed by leading traffic lawyer Hayder Shkara, who said while no law in Australia says “you must keep both hands on the wheel”, liability ultimately lies with the driver.
“What the law does say is that a driver must have ‘proper control’ of their vehicle at all times,” he said.
“The reality is that if you take your hands off and something goes wrong, police can fine you, insurers can refuse to cover you, and ultimately, you, as the driver, remain legally responsible for any damage caused.
“There is no excuse called “but it was the car driving, not me”.
“The law in Australia doesn’t recognise the car as the driver; it recognises the person behind the wheel. Until that changes, liability for crashes, offences, or negligent driving remains with you.”
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