Tesla has taken another significant step toward full autonomy, announcing that newly built vehicles at its Fremont factory can now drive themselves from the production line to their designated lane in the logistics lot, without human intervention.
This achievement marks a first for the auto industry, demonstrating Tesla’s lead in integrating advanced autonomous capabilities into its manufacturing and delivery processes.
Tesla announced the milestone on X, sharing videos of newly built vehicles navigating a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) route from the assembly plant to their assigned loading dock lanes. The footage provides a glimpse into the future of factory logistics, where cars autonomously navigate through factory grounds, adhering to lane markings, adjusting speed, and stopping as needed, all without a human driver.
Teslas now drive themselves from their birthplace at the factory to their designated loading dock lanes without human intervention
— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) January 29, 2025
One step closer to large-scale unsupervised FSD pic.twitter.com/Aj6dHsLaRO
Starting with the ~1.2 mile route at the Fremont factory pic.twitter.com/avgSpBxb4j
— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) January 29, 2025
The ability for vehicles to autonomously drive themselves within the factory not only improves efficiency but also reduces the reliance on human drivers for what was previously a manual task, at the same time saving the company money.
While this announcement came as a surprise, there was one hint that this development was coming. In early December a drone flight over the Fremont factory revealed the logistics lot was getting repainted with new lane lines and markings. In hindsight, we can now see these new markings were the precursor for the deployment of unsupervised FSD at the factory.
This must be why @Tesla repainted the lane lines and markings at the logistics lot in early December.
— Drive Tesla (@DriveTeslaca) January 29, 2025
Correct @jermitron @aelluswamy?
: Met God in Wilderness | YT https://t.co/SbSTGr1mkR pic.twitter.com/pV6MsmEwdO
With that in mind, it looks like Tesla may soon bring autonomous vehicle movement to Giga Texas, as the lane markings at its logistics lot was also recently repainted, according to drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer.
Tesla’s implementation of FSD at the factory level showcases the progress of its software. This application offers a somewhat controlled environment where the system can operate with some external variables like traffic and pedestrians moving around the factory complex. It demonstrates Tesla’s confidence in its technology, and will help lay the groundwork for expansion beyond the automaker’s factories.
While the broader rollout of unsupervised FSD to consumers is still subject to regulatory approval, Tesla is hoping to roll out this software on a limited basis in California and Texas later this year. The company has also been conducting a FSD ride-hailing network with employees in California, although for safety and regulatory reasons, a human is still behind the wheel.
