‘Elon’s push’: Rare Tesla footage exposes plans for massive Australian move
EV maker Tesla has shared a clip of one of its self-driving vehicles navigating a notorious turn in one of Australia’s biggest capital cities.
The clip, shared to social media by Tesla AI, appears to show a Tesla Model 3 managing both right-hand driving and the tricky hook turn manoeuvre that commonly stumps interstate drivers in the Victorian capital.
Hook turns – designed to smooth the way for trams at busy intersections in the CBD and some adjacent suburbs – require right-turning vehicles to wait at the far left side of an intersection. They can complete their right turn only when the lights change.
The test vehicle, with a human clearly visible in the driver’s seat, completes the turn with aplomb – much to the delight of Tesla fans online.
“Hook turn is the most annoying and scary thing about driving in the Melbourne CBD,” wrote one user on the X post.
“This is a game-changer.”
Others were more sceptical.
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“Trying to avoid trams in roundabouts or remembering to stop for pedestrians getting out of trams is more challenging. Interesting to see how FSD handles that!” wrote another Tesla fan.
The footage also shows the car’s surroundings as it drives Melbourne’s streets. Other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and, of course, the famous trams can also be seen.
Tesla reportedly began testing its self-drive system in Australia as early as January 2023. But this is the first time it has officially confirmed testing on local roads.
Tesla’s Australian director Thom Drew said expanding the brand’s driverless features was high on owner Elon Musk’s list of priorities.
“That’s Elon’s push,” Drew said.
“We have a global engineering team that are working across markets around a lot of FSD… actively working across all our markets to roll it out.”
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Soon after posting the Melbourne clip, the Tesla account posted a similar video from Paris.
It showed the EV cruising effortlessly around the chaotic and roundabout near l’Arc de Triomphe.
The development comes as Tesla’s brand has suffered in Australia and overseas due to Musk’s close association with US President Donald Trump.
Musk stepped back from his political activities in April amid reports that his relationship with Trump had cooled and that concerns among Tesla shareholders had grown. It follows the EV brand’s slumping global sales, including a 33 per cent year-on-year drop in Australia in January.
Tesla’s self-driving tech is not yet approved for use on Australian roads. However, some keen Australian buyers have paid as much as $10,100 to have access to the system in their Teslas via a software update once it has been legally approved.
The tech has faced numerous issues and safety concerns since its introduction. In October last year, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with it after four reported collisions, including a fatal crash in 2023.
The probe by the NHTSA, America’s vehicle safety regulator, is the first step before a potential recall of the cars if it believes they pose an unreasonable risk to safety.
NHTSA said its “review will assess the timing, purpose, and capabilities of any such updates, as well as Tesla’s assessment of their safety impact”.
Tesla, which did not comment on the latest investigation, had earlier recalled more than two million vehicles across the US to install new safeguards in its Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system.
Despite its name, “full-self driving” still requires driver supervision. A human is required to be at the wheel, ready to take over steering or braking.
Tesla’s owners’ manual says drivers must keep their hands on the wheel while driverless mode is engaged (as shown in the video). Many drivers, however, ignore the rules.
