Australia has witnessed a major milestone in automotive technology with the completion of the first ever self-driving journey between Sydney and Melbourne in a Tesla.

The pioneering 800-kilometre road trip was undertaken by Drive’s (ital.) James Ward, who set out from Sydney on September 9 in a Tesla equipped with the company’s supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD-S) system. The achievement marks the first time Tesla’s self-driving technology has been trialled on a major intercity route in Australia and the first time it has operated entirely on the left-hand side of the road.

Over the course of the journey, the car navigated highways, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and lane changes while remaining compliant with Australian road rules. Ward said the system was extremely conservative in its driving style, often sitting well below posted speed limits.

“The Tesla was very risk-averse and conservative. I never felt concerned or in danger,” Ward explained.

“The car obeyed all road rules including stop signs, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights and keep left unless overtaking.”

One of the standout moments of the trip came when the vehicle attempted Melbourne’s notoriously complex hook turn at a city intersection. On its second try, the Tesla managed the manoeuvre successfully, a feat Ward described as remarkable for autonomous driving technology.

“The technology and capability presented by the Tesla Supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD-S) functionality is simply remarkable,” he said.

“The car managed to solve problems and deal with dynamic environments as well as most human drivers, and arguably performed with more attention on the road than many human drivers.”

Ward emphasised, however, that despite the successful journey, the system does not yet replace human drivers. Concentration and hands-on readiness were still required, with the car disengaging if it sensed a lack of driver attentiveness.

“You need to concentrate and pay attention the whole time or the system shuts off – so it’s not a replacement for drivers at this point,” he said.

Tesla’s supervised FSD-S system is still undergoing final testing in Australia and is not yet available to the public. The Sydney-to-Melbourne demonstration highlights the technology’s potential while underscoring the need for ongoing driver oversight.

Ward believes the Australian-first drive shows how far autonomous technology has advanced and offers a glimpse into the future of road transport.