Tesla’s long-awaited push to bring Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology into The Boring Company’s Las Vegas tunnels is finally underway. After four years of human-operated shuttles beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, autonomous trials have begun, but the early results reveal that even in controlled environments, self-driving remains a work in progress.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) confirmed that testing started quietly at the end of 2024, lining up with our earlier reporting, and has continued throughout 2025, Fortune reports. Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD (Supervised) are now navigating the 3.5-mile (5.6km) underground system while Boring Company safety drivers remain behind the wheel, ready to intervene.
According to LVCVA CEO Steve Hill, these human backups still “periodically” need to take control, signaling that full autonomy remains out of reach.
The development is significant for both companies. The Boring Company’s tunnels were promoted from the beginning as an ideal showcase for autonomous transportation. Since launching in 2021, however, the system has relied exclusively on human drivers, transporting convention-goers through single-lane tunnels to nearby hotels.
Technical Hurdles Emerge
Despite the tunnels eliminating many of the obstacles of surface driving—such as weather, pedestrians, or cross traffic—Tesla’s FSD has encountered unique challenges. The tunnels’ colorful LED lighting and semi-polished rock walls create visual conditions that confuse the camera-based system. Unlike rivals such as Waymo or Cruise that use LiDAR and radar, Tesla’s approach depends solely on vision-based neural networks, making unusual light patterns a tricky variable.
Hill explained that while the environment is simpler than city streets, the system “finds spots that are difficult for them.” These issues highlight the complexity of refining autonomous driving software, even in spaces purpose-built for controlled transit.
Commercial Deployment Still Distant
Although no accidents have been reported so far, Hill cautions that widespread driverless service is “a ways off.” Before safety drivers can be removed, Tesla and The Boring Company must prove the system can operate with exceptional reliability and earn the trust of passengers. Hill added that the LVCVA would likely hire independent consultants to review safety data before approving any expansion of autonomous operations.
For The Boring Company, proving autonomy is key to its business model. The cost of employing human drivers limits scalability, especially as the company seeks permits to extend its network to the Las Vegas airport and potentially other U.S. cities.
