KATHMANDU: In a major step forward for autonomous driving technology, Tesla has successfully delivered a brand-new Model Y without a driver onboard.
The electric vehicle drove itself for nearly 30 minutes from Tesla’s Gigafactory in Texas to the owner’s home in Austin.
The delivery marks what Tesla is calling the world’s first fully autonomous car handover. According to the company, the vehicle was initially equipped with Tesla’s experimental “robotaxi software,” which was later updated to its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system after reaching the customer.
A video of the entire journey has been shared online, showing the Model Y navigating detours, parked cars, and city traffic smoothly, all without a human behind the wheel.
Unlike robotaxis that still operate with backup safety drivers in some U.S. cities, this Model Y made the trip entirely on its own. The event is being viewed as a historic achievement in the race towards fully autonomous mobility.
The milestone comes at a time when Tesla is facing growing competition from Chinese electric vehicle makers and mixed public sentiment linked to CEO Elon Musk’s political associations. Still, the company hopes innovations like these will redefine customer experience and offer a glimpse into the future of car ownership.
