Tesla tests fully self-driving car in London and Swindon

Tesla is demonstrating its cars’ fully self-driving capabilities in tests on UK public roads.

The electric vehicle manufacturer released two videos showing a Model 3 car negotiating central London and Swindon’s Magic Roundabout while the person in the driver’s seat is not holding the steering wheel.

The three-minute clip shot in London demonstrates the car dealing with roadworks and passing landmarks such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Downing Street.

Tesla said the Model 3 used for the videos contains the same hardware as vehicles delivered to customers today, but has software currently available only to its engineers.

The company is awaiting regulatory approval to use its unsupervised full self-driving capabilities in the UK.

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “It is a mistake to think that driverless technology won’t be able to cope with the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of the UKs roads – hats off to anyone, or anything, that can successfully negotiate the Magic Roundabout.

“The challenge for the regulatory authorities – and the nagging worry in the minds of potential passengers – is how to be sure that these vehicles can cope in every combination of circumstances they might encounter, including those where the human drivers around them might be less inclined to stick to the rules.

“The regulatory test self-driving vehicles need to pass is not whether they can cope with our roads on a given day, it is whether they can cope every day in every combination of circumstances they might encounter.”

On Monday, the Government launched a consultation on what rules self-driving taxis should have to meet in future.