Tesla’s FSD Faces Real-World Trials Underground—But Safety Drivers Still Needed as Challenges Emerge
A Controlled Testbed for Autonomous Ambitions
The Boring Company, founded by Elon Musk, is now testing Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software in its Las Vegas tunnel system, which connects the Convention Center with select nearby hotels.
- According to Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the trials have been running for several months with safety drivers onboard.
- Despite the controlled, simplified environment of the tunnels, Hill notes that manual interventions are still required, meaning full autonomy is still far off.
Four Years In, Real-World Autonomy Is Still a Work in Progress
The Vegas tunnel system, active for around four years, was originally envisioned as a futuristic, traffic-free transportation loop. However, it currently operates more like a human-driven shuttle system using Tesla vehicles.
- These tunnels present a theoretically ideal setting for autonomous vehicles: minimal external variables, straightforward routing, and no pedestrians.
- But even in this restricted environment, Tesla’s FSD still struggles in certain scenarios, particularly with passenger drop-offs and pick-ups, and interpreting lighting conditions and wall textures.
Unexpected Challenges Underground
Despite their simplicity, the tunnels pose unique visual and spatial challenges to Tesla’s system:
- The tunnels’ colorful LED lighting and semi-smooth rock surfaces reportedly confuse the FSD software, making it harder for the system to interpret surroundings.
- Vehicles still “find spots that are difficult for them,” according to Hill, highlighting that even controlled spaces require complex visual processing.
FSD Progress vs. Public Reality
Tesla has launched small-scale robotaxi pilots in Austin and San Francisco, but both are invite-only, and require human supervision. The Las Vegas trial further emphasizes that:
- Full autonomy—even in ideal settings—is not yet reliable without human oversight.
- Despite Musk’s public optimism about Tesla’s AI, actual deployments still require frequent manual interventions.
What’s Next for the Vegas Loop?
The Boring Company has ambitious plans to expand the Vegas Loop into a citywide underground transportation network, reaching the Strip, airport, and other tourist hubs.
- For that vision to materialize, Tesla’s FSD must become dramatically more reliable.
- As of now, there’s no timeline for public-facing FSD operations in the tunnels. Hill was clear: widespread rollout is still “a ways off.”
