Tesla FSD Meets Paris: One Century of AI in Europe’s Toughest Streets

I recently had the opportunity to take part in a truly captivating experience: sliding into the passenger seat of a Model 3 to test Full Self-Driving (Supervised) — FSD — through the organized chaos of Parisian streets, from Saint-Ouen to the very heart of the capital. The mission? To observe how Tesla’s AI, trained on the equivalent of over a century of human driving experience, handles the complex realities of Europe — far from America’s wide, structured avenues.

A Perfect Start: Unprecedented Caution

From the first moments after leaving the Tesla Center in Saint-Ouen, the difference is striking. The FSD system (supervised, of course) displays a level of caution that feels almost superhuman.

• Pedestrian priority: The car stops to let someone cross, showing more courtesy than 99% of Paris drivers. The pedestrian even thanks us, and the Model 3 accelerates gently before they have fully exited the crosswalk — a clear sign of contextual understanding and a perfect balance between safety and fluidity.
• Comfort and safety: Speed bumps are handled with impressive smoothness. There are no signs of rigid, rule-based decision-making — only an adaptive understanding of the environment and constant real-world adjustments.

The Stress Test: Parisian Agility

The real challenge lies in central Paris: narrow streets, dense traffic, unpredictable movement. The Model 3 had to nudge its way through — with robotic politeness nonetheless.

• Threading the needle: My favorite moment. The car literally “threaded the needle” through an extremely tight space, navigating around a work truck while a pedestrian stood in the roadway. Done with a calm, confident precision that commands respect.
• Passing and signaling: Stopped vehicles are passed safely and smoothly, with turn signals triggered at exactly the right moment, with zero rush. The most impressive part? Nobody notices. It drives like a human — just an exceptionally attentive one.
• “Mad Max” mode test: Out of curiosity, I tried “Mad Max” mode to push responsiveness. Verdict: on narrow streets, driving remains measured — nearly indistinguishable from standard mode. Safety remains the absolute priority, even when the system is pushed for speed.

The (Almost) Human Imperfections

A few nitpicks — reminders that the system is still supervised:

• Mild hesitation: The car paused with extreme caution as pedestrians approached a crosswalk even though the light was red — not strictly necessary.
• Touristic tunnel of pedestrians: In ultra-crowded tourist areas, the AI lacked just a bit too much assertiveness when weaving through the mass of people. Human intervention was required — more out of impatience than necessity, honestly.

Proof by Sensation: A Perceptive AI

Even in the most complex urban environments, FSD showcased flashes of remarkably adaptive intelligence.

• Unexpected motorcyclist: In a narrow street, the car stopped to let a motorcyclist pass — a courtesy move that felt less algorithmic and more genuinely perceptive.
• Ultimate safety instinct: A pedestrian stepped into the street without looking — the car braked instantly, then seamlessly resumed normal speed once the danger passed. The reaction felt faster than any human reflex.

100+ Years of Experience in One Ride

One of the Tesla team members emphasized that FSD is trained on more than 100 years of driving data. That’s more experience than any human could gather in a lifetime — and it shows.

Conclusion: Safer Than Myself

A significant portion of the ride required no intervention at all — even in the wildest moments. The AI was calmer, more polite, and undeniably safer than most human drivers in Paris. No honking. Total awareness. Consideration for every road user.

It’s a bold statement from Tesla to deploy this level of innovation in an environment this demanding. The path to full autonomy (Unsupervised) is clear — now it just needs a regulatory green light and a touch of Parisian assertiveness to be truly flawless.

This narrative was shared with Tesla Mag by one of our subscribers, a Tesla Model S owner, following a Full Self-Driving (Supervised) ride-along experience organized by Tesla in the streets of Paris. The observations expressed here reflect the driver’s personal, subjective perspective.