Tesla FSD Is Evolving Into A De Facto Robotaxi

LifestyleCars & BikesTesla FSD Is Evolving Into A De Facto RobotaxiByBrooke Crothers,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Brooke Crothers covers and reviews electric vehicles and autonomy.Follow AuthorJun 14, 2026, 10:36am EDTJun 14, 2026, 02:12pm EDT2026 Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD that I drove in Los Angeles. Credit: Brooke CrothersTesla Full Self-Driving is getting harder and harder to distinguish from a driverless vehicle.My latest drive (link to video) required no intervention despite fighting Los Angeles freeway congestion, wending across downtown Burbank, and even encountering a near-miss.As background, I test Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) frequently on a variety of EVs. Most recently on a 2026 Rivian R1S with the latest version of Rivian’s Autonomy+ platform and a 2027 Chevy Bolt RS with Super Cruise. I test Tesla’s FSD regularly.Good Doesn’t Mean PerfectNo ADAS is perfect. And never will be. Every ADAS I’ve tested makes mistakes. And every ADAS requires the driver’s full attention. But Tesla’s latest version of FSD, v14.3.3 (or v14.3.4 if you have the very latest), feels more like a Level 4 driverless ADAS than past versions of FSD. Not unlike Waymo’s driverless taxis, which I’ve taken many times in Los Angeles. (Waymo, contrary to popular opinion, also makes mistakes, which I’ve experienced myself.)So, I’m not claiming infallibility. What I am saying is that when I drive with FSD now, I just sit there as a passenger and monitor the drive. There was one telling incident on Friday when the Model 3 was headed north on 5 and I looked away for a moment. When I looked up, a truck was drifting into my lane. I was about to take back control but FSD made a split-second decision and steered around the truck. No intervention necessary. That’s what an ADAS is supposed to do: enhance driver safety.I won’t speculate what the truck driver was doing at that moment but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that an AD...