While many drivers still grip their steering wheels with white knuckles during rush hour, Tesla enthusiasts have been pushing the boundaries of what autonomous driving can accomplish on America’s highways. Recent achievements in long-distance Tesla travel have turned heads and raised eyebrows across the automotive world. No kidding.
Tim Heckman documented his jaw-dropping 6,392-mile road trip from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania and back, relying on Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) for a staggering 99% of the journey. The Model S Plaid handled nearly everything.
Another driver, David, went even further—covering over 10,000 miles cross-country without interventions. Just supervision. Impressive stuff.
These aren’t isolated cases. A 4,000-mile trip from Chicago to Phoenix via Las Vegas in a Model 3 RWD LFP and a 1,500-mile cross-country adventure highlight growing confidence in the technology. One Tesla owner drove over 1800 miles from Phoenix to Chicagoland through various charging stops. The cars performed remarkably well, averaging 267 Wh/mi efficiency in ideal conditions. That’s nearly 4 miles per kWh, for the math-challenged. Unlike geothermal energy which maintains a 96% capacity factor, Tesla’s Autopilot still requires constant human attention despite its impressive capabilities.
But it’s not all sunshine and robot chauffeurs. Drivers reported phantom braking, struggles with speed limits, improper following distances, and lane deviations. One site reliability engineer called the experience “stressful” despite the technology handling 99% of driving tasks. Heckman specifically noted that Autopilot has made weird jerky maneuvers since his initial purchase in 2019.
FSD apparently performs like a genius in California and a confused tourist everywhere else. The technology combines Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, Autosteer, Blind Spot Monitoring, and Lane Departure Avoidance—working under 85 mph. FSD goes further, handling route navigation, steering, lane changes, and even parking under supervision.
Billions of real-world driving miles train the system daily.
Let’s be clear: these aren’t truly “driverless” adventures. Active supervision remains required. A licensed driver must monitor the system at all times, ready to override with brake or accelerator when needed. The technology may be impressive, but Tesla’s cross-country pioneers aren’t napping in the backseat. Not legally, anyway.
References
- https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-driver-road-trip-using-full-self-driving-autopilot-fsd-2023-1
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW3mV6kLWMI
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnLswbNB0SU
- https://www.tesla.com/support/autopilot
- https://www.tesla.com/fsd
- https://www.tesla.com/support/fsd
- https://cleantechnica.com/2023/05/24/tesla-model-3-tesla-autopilot-on-1500-mile-cross-country-adventure/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_predictions_for_autonomous_Tesla_vehicles_by_Elon_Musk
