Tesla has predicted its next major breakthrough, saying it will launch unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) in parts of the U.S. later in 2025.

Tesla’s current iteration of FSD requires the driver pay attention and “supervise” the driving experience. In its latest earnings report, Tesla says it is finally ready to launch unsupervised FSD.

2025 will be a seminal year in Tesla’s history as FSD (Supervised) continues to rapidly improve
with the aim of ultimately exceeding human levels of safety. This will eventually unlock an
unsupervised FSD option for our customers and the Robotaxi business, which we expect to
begin launching later this year in parts of the U.S. We also continue to work on launching FSD
(Supervised) in Europe and China in 2025.

It remains to be seen if Tesla can deliver on its promise. The company, and especially CEO Elon Musk, have repeatedly promised unsupervised FSD, only to fail to deliver when promised.

Tesla currently has one of the most impressive self-driving systems, although it’s not without its flaws. The company has faced repeated criticism and investigations related to FSD’s limitations. Unlike most other companies, that rely on a combination LiDAR sensors and cameras, Tesla relies only on cameras for its FSD. Musk has famously opined that “LiDAR is a fool’s errand,” and “anyone relying on LiDAR is doomed.”

Interestingly, despite those sentiments, Tesla purchased $2 million worth of LiDAR sensors in mid-2024. It’s unclear whether that purchase was for competitive research, or if the company is finally implementing LiDAR and using it as the key to unlocking unsupervised FSD.