David Moss, a Tesla owner from Washington state, achieved a record 12,961 miles of intervention-free driving using Full Self-Driving mode on his Model 3, traversing the US coast-to-coast. The streak, powered by FSD version 14.2, ended in rural Wisconsin due to severe winter weather. Moss emphasized safety, remaining attentive throughout the journey.
David Moss, a 28-year-old product manager from Puyallup, Washington, began a road trip on October 28 in his Tesla Model 3 equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. By December 31, he had logged over 11,000 miles without touching the steering wheel, pedals, or intervening for parking or charging, according to reports from Business Insider and other outlets. Moss updated to FSD version 14.2 around November 25 while in Raleigh, North Carolina, which enabled the extended hands-off performance. He later shared on X that the total reached 12,000 miles, and ultimately 12,961 miles over 7.5 weeks, covering 30 states in a coast-to-coast journey—the first fully autonomous such trip with zero interventions from the driver. The system navigated complex scenarios, including construction zones, dirt roads, roundabouts, highways, and a severe windstorm on the interstate. Moss, who drives over 50,000 miles annually for work, purchased the Model 3 primarily for its FSD capabilities, viewing the electric vehicle aspect as secondary. His first EV was a Cybertruck, which he totaled in off-road mode before switching to the Model 3 during a promotional period ahead of the EV tax credit's expiration. The streak concluded in rural Wisconsin in January amid snow-covered roads and temperatures in the teens, prompting Moss to intervene safely without incident. He stressed vigilance, stating, “I haven’t tested out being on my phone with my eyes off the road. That’s still against the law, and it’s just not worth the risk.” Moss also noted, “I’ve actually not touched the wheel at all,” and described discovering his achievement incidentally online. While Tesla faces industry challenges, such as slowed sales and competition, Moss's experience highlights FSD's progress in handling diverse US driving conditions, though extreme weather remains a limitation.
