Tesla has shared videos of its driverless cars navigating the streets of London and Swindon.
In new footage, the company has displayed its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software navigating central London and Swindon’s Magic Roundabout – the notorious junction consisting of five mini-roundabouts, reports the Daily Telegraph.
It is the first evidence that Tesla is testing FSD in the UK and comes after it unveiled plans to launch the feature for drivers in the country later this year, although this will depend on regulatory approval. The Government has said it is preparing to allow driverless taxi services without a safety driver at the wheel next year.
Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD can navigate junctions, change lanes, stop at traffic lights and avoid pedestrians, other vehicles and cyclists. Users enter a destination and the vehicle effectively drives there, although the system requires constant supervision. Drivers in the US have had access to it since 2020, yet its launch in Europe and the UK has been held up by regulations.
In videos shared by Tesla on Friday, the Model 3 navigates around Swindon’s Magic Roundabout – regularly voted one of Britain’s most complicated junctions – without the human safety driver intervening. Another Model 3 (presumably) drives through central London, including past the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace.
FSD uses cameras and artificial intelligence to detect pedestrians and vehicles, and has been trained on huge amounts of real-world driving data.
Last month, Tesla launched a trial of its robotaxi service in Texas, which does not feature a safety driver. It plans to produce a “Cybercab” with no steering wheel or pedals. This week, ministers raised the prospect that a similar service could launch in Britain next year, allowing small-scale trials ahead of a wider launch in 2027.
Making the self-driving feature available to existing owners, allowing them to take their hands off the wheel and let the car drive itself, has been held up by international talks among European regulators. French authorities have threatened to fine Tesla €50,000 (£44,000) a day for “deceptively” advertising its cars as fully autonomous, and the company may also face restrictions on the claims under UK driverless car laws.
(Image courtesy of Tesla)
