Tesla has launched Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in New Zealand, making it the first right-hand drive market globally to receive the advanced driver assistance technology.
The system is now available for Model 3 and Model Y vehicles equipped with Hardware 4 (HW4), with Tesla offering both a full purchase option at $11,400 and a subscription model coming soon at $159 per month.
The subscription pricing means customers would pay the equivalent of the full purchase price over approximately six years of monthly payments.
Tesla says eligible customers can upgrade their vehicles through an over-the-air software update from any location with WiFi connectivity. The company plans to release the update to customers who have already purchased Full Self-Driving Capability from Thursday morning, allowing them to activate the system for their commute.
While the full purchase option is available immediately, Tesla says it is “looking to make FSD (Supervised) available soon by way of a subscription model for eligible vehicles” at $159 per month for New Zealand customers.
The company has not specified an exact launch date for the subscription service.
Advanced capabilities with human oversight required
Full Self-Driving (Supervised) enables Tesla vehicles to navigate complex driving scenarios including following road curves, stopping at intersections, making turns, navigating roundabouts, and entering or exiting highways.
The system also responds to traffic lights and stop signs, reacts to pedestrians and cyclists, and can manoeuvre around obstacles such as vehicles backing out of driveways.
However, Tesla emphasises that FSD (Supervised) “does not make the vehicle autonomous” and requires constant driver supervision. The system is described as “a hands-on feature that must be used by a fully attentive driver with additional caution.”
Driver monitoring and safety systems
Tesla vehicles using FSD (Supervised) employ cabin cameras to monitor driver attentiveness, a system that cannot be disabled. The camera can detect inattentiveness even when drivers wear sunglasses, though it may prompt drivers to apply light steering wheel pressure if hand positions are unclear.
If drivers repeatedly ignore attention prompts, the system escalates warnings and can disable FSD for the remainder of the trip. In extreme cases, the vehicle will sound a continuous chime, activate warning flashers, and bring the car to a complete stop.
Tesla has implemented a “strikeout” system where FSD access is suspended after five instances of system disengagement due to driver inattentiveness during a single trip.
Test drives and broader availability
Tesla is “looking to make test drives of vehicles with FSD (Supervised) activated available to customers at Tesla locations across Australia and New Zealand soon,” though specific timing has not been confirmed.
The technology is available as an optional package for all new Tesla vehicles sold in the local market, while existing owners of eligible vehicles can purchase the upgrade separately.
Tesla says the system is trained using “billions of miles of anonymous real-world driving data” and is designed to handle “the most stressful parts of daily driving while helping make the roads safer.”
The launch follows a successful demonstration of FSD (Supervised) in Brisbane and represents a significant expansion of Tesla’s autonomous driving capabilities beyond left-hand drive markets.