Imagine paying over ten thousand dollars for a feature on your brand new car, only to find out it makes the vehicle worse. That's precisely what happened with Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, and it arguably cost them the prestigious Car of the Year award! Let's dive into how this cutting-edge tech, intended to revolutionize driving, actually backfired.
This year, among all the automotive technological advancements, Tesla's FSD (Supervised) rollout in Australia was arguably the most impactful. Elon Musk's company made waves by introducing this optional feature, which allows drivers to input a destination into the touchscreen and then essentially let the car handle the driving, including steering and pedal control. Think of it as a super-powered autopilot for your car.
So how does it work? The system is designed to navigate using the car's sensors, taking you from point A to point B, including handling traffic lights, roundabouts, and even complex maneuvers like judging gaps in oncoming traffic to make right turns. You can even use it similarly to cruise control, without inputting a specific destination.
Available for a one-time payment of $10,100 or a $149 monthly subscription, Tesla claims that with FSD, "your vehicle will be able to drive itself almost anywhere under your active supervision and will continuously improve with future software updates." But here's where it gets controversial... is that promise truly being delivered?
The Tesla Model Y, in general, is a very safe vehicle, boasting a five-star ANCAP rating and high scores for occupant protection and safety assistance technologies. Danielle Collis, one of the first to test FSD in Australia, initially felt a mix of excitement and terror. Eventually, she described the experience as potentially "life-changing," envisioning stress-free commutes and long road trips. James Macsmith, another tester, was so impressed that he added FSD to his own Model Y, stating that it was difficult to imagine driving without it and that Tesla had "changed the way we drive forever."
It's important to note that the previous generation Tesla Model Y actually won the Car of the Year award in 2022. That makes the following even more surprising.
So, if FSD is so revolutionary, why did it hinder the Model Y's chances in the 2025 competition? The answer lies in its performance during a rigorous test loop that included various driving conditions: highways, country roads, urban areas with school zones, road work zones, and challenging intersections.
Stephen Ottley, another judge, admitted to being a "giant skeptic" of FSD but was initially impressed. He noted that the system was, in some instances, better than many human drivers, citing an example of the car automatically returning to the left lane after overtaking another vehicle on the highway. "And this is the part most people miss..." Ottley points out the reliance on a purely camera-based system, which he considers fundamentally flawed and questionable for road use. This is a key point because competitors like Google's Waymo use more sophisticated (and expensive) sensor arrays, including lidar, to achieve similar functionality. Could this be a critical difference?
Reports from three judges indicated a significant safety concern: the car attempted to drive straight through an intersection from a right-turn-only lane. Even more alarming, the car exceeded 40km/h speed limits in both roadwork and school zones. This raises serious questions about the reliability and safety of the system. And at times, the system was too cautious.
Stephanie Coombes reported that the slow pace of the FSD system became "too embarrassing," causing traffic to back up behind her. This highlights a potential trade-off between safety and practicality.
So, what's the takeaway? The Tesla Model Y, a pre-event favorite, ultimately fell short of winning the Car of the Year award due to an expensive "safety and convenience" feature that felt more like a liability. As Iain Curry succinctly put it: "You’d be pretty filthy if you paid 10 grand for that."
What do you think? Is FSD a game-changer that's simply misunderstood, or is it an overhyped and potentially dangerous technology? Would you trust it in a school zone? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
