Teslas Now Drive Themselves From Factory to Delivery Lot [VIDEO]

Tesla continues to find efficiencies that lower vehicle production costs. In fact, at their earnings call, Tesla announced that their cost of goods (COGs) are now the lowest they’ve ever been. The other day, Tesla completed the Cybertunnel, an underground tunnel that goes underneath a highway, making it easier to get Cybertrucks to their loading lot, and now they’re incorporating FSD into the process.

Tesla announced that newly built vehicles at its Fremont factory now autonomously drive themselves from the end of the production line to the logistics lot, where they are prepared for delivery. This again increases efficiency and lowers vehicle costs.

Unsupervised FSD

Tesla isn’t just using FSD for this. For the first time outside of testing and the Robotaxi event, Tesla is using Unsupervised FSD.

While Unsupervised FSD is not yet ready for widespread public use, Tesla has implemented it in a controlled setting on private property. Without human intervention, the vehicles navigate a 1.2-mile route from the Fremont factory to their designated loading dock lanes. This allows Tesla to refine the software in a real-world environment while avoiding regulatory hurdles that apply to public roads.

Starting with the ~1.2 mile route at the Fremont factory pic.twitter.com/avgSpBxb4j

Cameras Calibrated at Factory

One hurdle Tesla needed to overcome was camera calibration. Vehicles typically need to be driven for 20-25 miles on clearly marked roads for the cameras to be calibrated. Only once this process is complete, does FSD become available to the driver.

This meant that new owners weren’t able to experience FSD right after delivery and instead usually needed to wait a day or two before calibration was completed. However, Tesla now calibrates the cameras at the factory with presumably new methods so that the vehicle doesn’t need to be driven a bunch of miles before FSD is ready.

Calibration is now done automatically as the vehicle moves through the manufacturing line.

Expansion to Giga Texas and the Cybertunnel

With Tesla’s Fremont factory successfully deploying Unsupervised FSD, attention now turns to Giga Texas and other factories globally. Fresh lane markings have recently been noticed at the logistics lot in Texas, suggesting that Tesla may soon introduce a similar process there.

Tesla recently completed the Cybertunnel, an underground tunnel connecting Giga Texas to the Cybertruck’s loading area. This tunnel shortens transportation time for Cybertrucks moving from the production floor to the logistics lot. When Tesla shared the Cybertunnel video, you could clearly see employees driving the Cybertrucks through the tunnel, but it’s likely just a matter of time before Cybertrucks navigate the Cybertunnel autonomously.

This new move by Tesla helps them continue testing and refining Unsupervised FSD while also reducing costs by eliminating manual driving from production to shipping lots. It also improves the new customer experience by having cameras calibrated and FSD ready to go at delivery. Tesla said years ago that one day, you’ll be able to order a Tesla, and it’ll drive itself to you. This process would further eliminate costs and speed up delivery times. While this may still be years away, it seems like we’re now one step closer.