Karmactive Team
Tesla has confirmed Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is launching in Australia, with New Zealand expected to follow soon, making them the first right-hand-drive markets to receive this technology.
Thom Drew, Tesla Country Director for Australia and New Zealand, has indicated the system is in final validation before public release with no regulatory barriers remaining. Tesla states FSD (Supervised) complies with current Australian and New Zealand road rules as an SAE Level 2 driver-assistance feature.
The rollout targets Hardware 4 (HW4) vehicles first—Model 3 and Model Y vehicles equipped with the latest computer architecture. This represents a portion of Tesla’s Australian fleet, though exact numbers are not publicly available.
Tesla has released demonstration videos showing the system handling Sydney CBD traffic and Melbourne hook turns as part of local testing.
The outright purchase price for Full Self-Driving capability is AUD $10,100. New Tesla purchasers receive a 30-day free trial with delivery. Subscription pricing hasn’t been announced for AU/NZ markets yet, though the US version costs USD $99 monthly.
FSD has been available for purchase in Australia since 2017, with customers paying upfront for future activation. The technology adds Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control to existing Autopilot features.
For HW3 Tesla owners, no retrofit program details have been confirmed regarding costs or timeframes. Currently, there is no confirmed upgrade path from HW3 to HW4.
Full Self-Driving (Supervised) operates as an SAE Level 2 system, not autonomous driving. The vision-based system uses cameras and neural networks but requires constant driver attention.
Drivers must maintain hands on the wheel, eyes on road, and readiness to intervene. Legal liability remains with the person behind the wheel regardless of system engagement.
Australia becomes the sixth country to receive FSD following the US, Canada, China, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. In China, regulatory restrictions require the feature to be called “City NOA” (城市导航辅助驾驶) instead.
As of August 28, 2025, Tesla has officially launched FSD for purchase in Australia, with the rollout beginning with HW4-equipped vehicles.
The current deployment prioritizes vehicles with Hardware 4 computing systems. Tesla has not detailed upgrade paths for older hardware Tesla vehicles in Australia.
Tesla has launched Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Australia, with New Zealand expected to follow soon, starting with Hardware 4 vehicles, priced at AUD $10,100, with new deliveries receiving a 30-day trial.The Australian launch comes as regulatory hurdles continue to block similar rollouts in other right-hand-drive markets like the UK. Meanwhile, competition in the Australian EV market continues to intensify with entries like the Zeekr 7X bringing high-performance alternatives to Tesla’s lineup.
