Alert! Tesla's Full Self Driving lands on Australian roads as testing commences in Melbourne for the future self driving technology available on the 2025 Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3

For Melbourne drivers who hate those pesky CBD hook turns, Tesla may have found you a solution. That is, if you’re willing to put your life into the hands of computer software.

A video posted to X (formerly Twitter) by the brand on Friday showed a car performing the anxiety-inducing manoeuvre – that sees cars turn right from the left lane – autonomously with the guidance of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.

It's the first time the technology, which remains subject to regulatory approval in Australia, has ever been shown testing on local roads in a right-hand-drive vehicle. 

In addition to the hook turn, the undisclosed Tesla model was seen effortlessly navigating tram tracks and bustling one-way streets, albeit with a driver supervising.

Unlike in the US, where FSD is approved for use in several US states, it is not approved for public use in Australia, despite Tesla offering it as an additional $10,100 package on its Australian website.

It is unclear whether this video suggests it is any closer to local regulatory approval or under what conditions Tesla received an exemption to perform the testing. CarsGuide has contacted Tesla’s local operations for further information.

Contrary to what the name might suggest, FSD still requires driver supervision with a human required to be at the wheel and ready to steer or brake at all times.

Hook-turn, U-turn, Our turn https://t.co/o819LtWei3

— Tesla Australia & New Zealand (@TeslaAUNZ) May 16, 2025

Tesla’s owners manual says owners must keep their hands on the steering wheel when FSD is engaged, as is the case in the Tesla video, but many drivers admittedly ignore that direction.

Unlike competitors such as BYD’s ‘God’s Eye’, which uses a mix of camera and Lidar sensors, Tesla’s FSD system is purely camera-based.

The video comes as Tesla aims to evolve the technology further in the US to a fully-autonomous rideshare service using pre-existing Tesla vehicles.

CEO Elon Musk has previously flagged that owners could lease out their Teslas to the service and earn an income in return, with the brand set to stage its first 'Robotaxi' service in Austin next month using 20 vehicles.

The program has, however, been fraught by technical challenges and unfulfilled promises. As far back as 2019, Musk promised one million Robotaxis would be on the road by 2020.

Last year, the US auto regulator opened an investigation into 2.4 million vehicles equipped with the software after a string of incidents, including a fatal crash in 2023.

According to the regulator, it is seeking to understand how the technology works in tough weather conditions, such as fog, rain and bright sun.

The probe hasn’t stifled Tesla’s ambition to be the industry leader on autonomous driving, even as it battles growing competition from Chinese EV rivals. Tesla still hopes to launch its dedicated autonomous model – the Cybercab – by 2026.