- Self-driving system navigates narrow mountain trail deep in rural China.
- At one point, the Model Y accelerated to 28 km/h on the dirt cliffside road
- Tesla likely never envisioned Full Self-Driving being used on trails like this.
Even with regulatory hurdles slowing things down, Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (Supervised) system continues to garner attention, especially when it’s doing things most people wouldn’t expect from an EV. While the company’s rollout in China hit a temporary pause in late March, a few new videos are making the rounds online, showing just how far Tesla’s driver assistance tech can stretch when given a tough challenge.
Two clips in particular stand out. In them, a Model Y is seen navigating a narrow, winding mountain trail, exactly the kind of terrain you’d normally reserve for a rugged 4×4, not a tech-heavy crossover on road tires. Yet here it is, confidently, or at least convincingly, working its way along dirt paths where it arguably has no business being.
Read: Tesla Forced To Halt FSD Trials In China Over New Rules
Originally posted to Chinese social media platform Douyin, the footage has since made its way to other platforms, giving a clearer look at how FSD (Supervised) handles unpaved, unpredictable conditions. The video includes both interior shots and wide angles from a 360-degree camera mounted at the back of the vehicle.
Tight Trails, Nervous Hands
With the FSD system enabled, the Tesla can be seen navigating its way along the dirt path with surprising accuracy. The central touchscreen shows that the camera-based system is able to see where the trail goes and keeps the Model Y well-positioned on the path, avoiding falling down the cliff or hitting any of the nearby trees. Admittedly, it seems like a very stressful experience for the guy behind the wheel, who can be seen positioning his hands just above the yoke, ready to take over at a moment’s notice.
FSD drives on a dirt road up a hillside.🔥
Credit: Douyin AE68 pic.twitter.com/3w0fuy8B7l
— Aaron Li (@boolusilan) May 19, 2025
The second clip from the same video is a little more precarious. As the Model Y continues to work its way up the dirt road, the FSD system fights to keep the car centered, hitting the brakes at random times. At one stage, it begins to quickly accelerate, hitting 28 km/h (17.3 mph) on the tiny path, jumping over bumps in the road, but, remarkably, not crashing spectacularly.
Several other Tesla owners in China have also put FSD through its paces in recent months. In early March, the owner of a white Model X tested out the system along several narrow mountain roads before heading onto city streets and large highways.
To be clear, this isn’t what FSD is built for. Tesla didn’t design the system to go off-roading, and it was never advertised as capable of handling terrain like this. Yet that hasn’t stopped owners from putting it to the test, and for now, the software seems to be holding up. That said, it does raise some obvious questions about liability, overconfidence, and what happens when things don’t go quite as smoothly.
This is by far the craziest FSD footage I’ve seen in China, including narrow and steep mountain roads, city streets so tight only one car can pass, highway toll booths, and rural areas. How amazing FSD does.
Guys, while enjoying the video, you can also check out the… pic.twitter.com/O7TciAG9Qs
— 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑒𝑠 (@CharlesWBoy) February 28, 2025
