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Key takeaways

  • Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system successfully navigates the infamous Place de l'Étoile traffic circle in Paris.
  • The system responds to other traffic, uses turn signals and provides a smooth driving experience.
  • With over 5.79 billion test miles, the technology continuously learns from real-world situations.

Testing and capabilities

Tesla is currently testing its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology on European roads in preparation for a wider rollout. After demonstrations in Amsterdam, the system was now being tested on one of Europe's most complex traffic points: the twelve-cornered traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

This traffic circle, with twelve incoming roads and constant traffic congestion, is considered stressful for human drivers. Yet the autonomous system managed to navigate the intersection safely and smoothly, according to test images.

Technical operation

The test was conducted with a standard Tesla Model 3, equipped with the same hardware as customer cars. Only the software was a test version. All Tesla cars have Autopilot by default, but through future updates they should be able to drive fully autonomously.

Tesla's approach differs from competitors: it uses only camera systems ("vision only") and neural networks, with no expensive sensors or HD maps. This makes the system scalable for various traffic situations worldwide.

Learning from data

The system continuously improves thanks to data from Tesla's global fleet of more than 7 million cars. Collectively, these cover the equivalent of a human lifetime of driving daily (3.5 minutes per day).

To date, 5.79 billion kilometers have been tested, including 3.48 billion in 2024 alone. This huge data set also helps the system deal with exceptional situations.

Accident data and approval

Tesla's data shows that in Q1 2025, drivers with Autopilot had 10 times fewer accidents than the U.S. average. The company is now working with European regulators on approval for Full Self-Driving (Supervised).

The technology is already available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and China. A European introduction would be an important step in the development of autonomous driving.

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