How close is Tesla getting to fully autonomous driving? The company’s latest Full Self-Driving update shows the technology’s getting pretty impressive.
Tesla’s new FSD (Supervised) feature can now steer through parking lots, find specific people, and handle complex driving situations. The system uses 360-degree cameras to see everything around the car and avoid obstacles like bikes and motorcycles.
The feature works through a blue steering wheel icon that appears on the dashboard. Drivers activate it by pressing the right scroll wheel on the steering wheel. Before using it, drivers must accept user agreements for both Autosteer and Full Self-Driving. The system’s available in the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, and New Zealand, with more countries planned.
Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) activates via a blue steering wheel icon on the dashboard, currently available across seven countries with expansion planned.
However, there’s a catch. Tesla says active driver supervision is still required. Drivers must keep their hands near the steering wheel and stay alert. The car will automatically disengage if a driver stops paying attention. This means FSD (Supervised) isn’t truly driverless yet, despite its impressive abilities.
The technology relies on billions of miles of anonymous real-world driving data for training. This data helps the system handle common driving problems without getting tired or distracted like humans do. The system has been trained on over 100 years’ worth of diverse driving scenarios to improve safety performance.
Tesla’s latest software version, 2025.38, suggests the company might remove the “beta” label soon, meaning they believe it’s ready for wider use.
Tesla’s development team keeps improving the system. Recent updates added Speed Profiles and Arrival Options features. Future versions might let drivers take brief breaks from paying attention during certain traffic conditions. The company is working toward an “FSD Light” system that’d require even less human intervention.
Safety features are built throughout the system. The cameras provide continuous monitoring, and over-the-air updates deliver improvements automatically. The company designed FSD (Supervised) to handle the most stressful parts of daily driving. Tesla vehicles achieve the lowest injury probability in standardized crash tests, demonstrating the company’s commitment to safety across all its systems.
Tesla’s pushing the limits of what cars can do on their own. While FSD (Supervised) can’t drive completely unsupervised yet, it’s a major step toward the company’s goal of fully autonomous vehicles.