Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology has once again completed a coast-to-coast journey across the United States without a single human intervention—marking the second zero-disengagement FSD drive achieved this month. A 2024 Tesla Model S successfully traveled from Los Angeles to New York entirely under FSD control, reinforcing just how quickly Tesla’s autonomy software is advancing in real-world conditions.
The journey covered 3,081 miles and took 58 hours and 22 minutes to complete, with the vehicle spending just over 10 hours charging along the way. The drive was carried out by former automotive journalist Alex Roy and a small team of autonomy experts, using a Model S equipped with Tesla’s latest AI4 hardware and FSD version 14.2.2.3. (via The Drive)
The route itself carries symbolic weight. Known as the Cannonball Run, the cross-country challenge dates back to the 1970s and has long been a benchmark for endurance, performance, and, more recently, autonomous capability. It also directly ties back to a bold claim made by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2017, when he said, “I feel pretty good about this goal. We’ll be able to do a demonstration guide of full autonomy all the way from LA to New York by the end of next year.” While that timeline famously slipped, the goal has now been realized.
What makes this achievement particularly notable is the context. The drive took place in the middle of winter and included snow, ice, slush, rain, and even an active snowstorm in parts of the Midwest and Northeast. Despite the challenging conditions—which typically reduce EV efficiency and complicate sensor performance—the Model S maintained an average speed of about 64 mph and handled highway cruising, lane changes, navigation, and adverse weather entirely on its own.
The team’s commitment to a true zero-intervention run was tested more than once. In one instance, a human mistake resulted in a 90-minute detour to retrieve a team member left behind at a rest stop. Rather than taking control, the group allowed FSD to manage the entire reroute autonomously, highlighting their dedication to completing the run without human input.
Reflecting on the experience, Roy praised the system’s consistency and maturity, writing on X, “Elon Musk was right. Once an autonomous vehicle is mature, most human input is error. A comedy of human errors added hours and hundreds of miles, but FSD stunned us with its consistent and comfortable behavior.”
