Here's How Tesla's FSD 12 Handles Manhattan Traffic

Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" software did a decent job in one of America's most chaotic driving environments.

May 1, 2024 at 11:31am ET

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been saying for almost a decade that the company's so-called Full Self-Driving software is on the brink of making Teslas drive themselves. But is it? Thanks to a whole YouTube genre dedicated to Tesla owners putting FSD to the test, you can be the judge.

One recent video posted by the YouTube channel "FSD in NYC" showcases—you guessed it—Tesla's driver-assistance tech attempting to navigate New York City streets.

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Tesla is going hard on autonomy

Elon Musk is pushing harder than ever for Tesla to be not just a car company, but rather an artificial intelligence company. Tesla has promised to bring self-driving technology to its cars for years. But its so-called Full Self-Driving package still requires total human supervision as it attempts to navigate the world.

Today, FSD requires full driver supervision, so it isn't autonomous. The driver is always legally in control and liable for any mistakes it makes. Sometimes it performs admirably, navigating near pedestrians and other cars in an almost human-like way. Sometimes, it fails at simple tasks and gets confused by scenarios any human wouldn't think twice about. We recently reported that FSD-enabled Teslas have been slamming into curbs at a rate that's alarmed Tesla owners.

That's basically the gist of FSD in NYC's latest video. A lot of the driving went off without a hitch. But the driver had to hit the accelerator a few times to prompt the overly cautious Tesla to get a move on. It successfully weaved down a street with two double-parked cars, but did so unnecessarily slowly, FSD in NYC said.

"What's it worried about? I'm not sure," the driver said.

The Tesla Model Y also got stuck in a crosswalk because it failed to slow for a yellow light. Then it got honked at when it failed to proceed even when it had the right of way across an intersection. All told, the driver notes how human-like FSD feels at times but recognizes that it still needs constant monitoring. The Tesla was running the FSD 12.3.2.1 software release.

"I'm really just monitoring it like a teenage taxi driver in New York, perhaps," he said.

Check out the full video and let us know how FSD V12 did in one of the most chaotic driving environments in the country. And stay tuned: We'll be bringing you our own evaluation of Tesla's latest FSD software in the near future.

Do you have an FSD-equipped Tesla we can test in New York, San Diego or the Bay Area? Drop us a line: [email protected]

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