Tesla begins developing self-driving car that also knows how to find a parking spot in Bondi on a Saturday

PARKING BRAKE-THROUGH: Engineers at Tesla have begun working on what the company is calling its most ambitious project to date: the world’s first autonomous vehicle capable of locating an available parking space in Bondi during peak times.

“This is our greatest technical challenge yet,” says Elon Musk, who refused to predict exactly when the car might be available.

“For self-driving cars in Bondi, parallel parking will be easy,” he said. “The problem will be finding somewhere to do it.”

Engineers say vehicles are being trained on millions of hours of chaotic driving data.

“But nothing can prepare the cars to distinguish between loading zones, disabled spots and no stopping areas, or to deal with people standing in empty spots to “save them” for friends.

During an early trial, a prototype reportedly completed 37 laps of Campbell Parade before asking its passengers whether they would consider walking from Waverley.