Tesla’s EVs are now driving themselves out of the factory

Tesla is constantly improving its semi-autonomous driving technology, and now its electric vehicles (EV) are one step closer to delivering themselves to customers.

In a video uploaded to X – formerly Twitter – Tesla’s AI division posted footage of multiple Model Ys and Model 3s driving out of the Fremont factory where they’re built and into dock lanes.

But rather than being driven the traditional way with employees behind the wheel, these Teslas have no occupants and are instead solely relying on the brand’s so-called Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology.

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Tesla isn’t the first carmaker to do this, as BMW has been testing ‘Automated Driving In-Plant’ for vehicles made at its Dingolfing factory in Germany since 2022, and recently gained approval to do it on a larger scale.

For Tesla, the EV specialist believes this is the latest step towards what it calls unsupervised FSD – where occupants can be transported with no input to the vehicle’s controls – becoming available to the general public.

It’s worth noting however that FSD has been in the sights of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) following four crash reports involving the technology, one of which was fatal.

The company markets FSD – technically a Level 2 autonomous driving system, despite the name – as having the ability to accelerate, brake and steer the car itself, with the system claimed to be capable of navigating, changing lanes and following road signal directions.

However, the owner’s manual warns drivers must be prepared to take over control at any time – either for emergencies or in case of a failure with the technology – while the use of a mobile phone while driving in its semi-autonomous mode is also forbidden.