Tesla has been working on a big dream—cars that can drive all by themselves.
They call it Full Self-Driving, or FSD. But even after many years and promises, that dream is still not ready.
What Is Tesla FSD?
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving is a special computer system in the car. It’s supposed to drive the car on its own. That means it should know when to stop, turn, speed up, or slow down—all without the driver doing anything.
But right now, the driver still needs to pay attention. The system can make mistakes. That’s why Tesla calls it “supervised” self-driving. You still need your hands ready on the wheel.
Has It Gotten Better?
Not really. Tesla released its last big update for FSD in December 2024. That was called version 13. It was supposed to be a big step forward. Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla, said this version would make the system much better—5 to 6 times fewer mistakes.
But the numbers show it only improved by about 2 times. That’s better, but not as much as they said.
Even worse, the newest version, v13.2.9, is not doing as well as the one before it. It’s making more mistakes, based on real-world testing by drivers.
What About Old Cars?
Some Tesla cars made before 2023 still use old hardware called HW3. Those cars are stuck on version 12 and can’t run the newest versions. Elon Musk said these cars will never get true self-driving, even though people were promised they would one day.
There’s no fix for that yet.
What Is Tesla Doing Now?
Instead of fixing the problems in all cars, Tesla is now testing self-driving taxis in Austin, Texas. These are cars that only work in a small part of the city. The cars are trained to drive well just in that area.
Also, people are helping the cars from far away—teleoperation. That means if the car doesn’t know what to do, a human helps it by remote control. This isn’t something that can work everywhere.
What’s Coming Next?
Elon Musk says a new version is coming “later this year.” This update will have a much smarter brain—a model with 4.5 times more “thinking power.” But it still needs a lot of testing. And Musk’s past timelines have often been late.
So, Can Teslas Drive Themselves Yet?
No, not yet. They still need someone watching at all times. Even though the name says “Full Self-Driving,” the cars are not fully self-driving. Not today. Not this year.
Final Thought
Tesla has made cool cars that are fast and fun. But the dream of a car that can drive you home while you nap? That’s still a dream. It may happen one day. But for now, keep your hands on the wheel.
