Elon Musk Finally Gives In: Tesla Owners Get One More Chance to Transfer Full Self-Driving
In a surprising turn of events, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced during a recent shareholder meeting that the company will allow Tesla owners one more quarter to transfer their Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability to a new vehicle. This move comes after multiple instances where Tesla has gone back and forth on the issue, stirring both skepticism and relief among its customer base.
An Ongoing Saga of Promises and Delays
Over the years, Tesla has been selling its Full Self-Driving system to eager customers. Many of these early adopters have gone through several vehicles without ever seeing the fully functional self-driving capability they were promised. What they do have, however, is the FSD Beta, now referred to as FSD Supervised, which still requires human intervention and does not provide the complete self-driving experience that was initially outlined.
This situation has led to a recurring frustration among Tesla owners who find themselves having to rebuy the FSD software for their new vehicles even though the feature was never fully delivered in the previous ones. Adding to this frustration, the price of FSD has fluctuated over the years, further complicating matters for long-time Tesla enthusiasts.
Temporary Reprieves and Changing Policies
In the past year, Tesla did attempt to address these concerns by allowing FSD transfers for a limited period of two months. However, these short windows seemed more like a tactic to stoke demand rather than genuinely assisting their loyal customers. After each limited-time offer expired, Tesla continued to tighten the reins, only to temporarily ease them again when it suited their business needs.
During Tesla’s Q1 quarterly call, the question of making FSD transfers a permanent feature was flatly denied. But in a twist of fate, during this latest shareholder meeting, the persistence of questions regarding the transfer policy seemed to pay off. Although Musk hesitated, labeling the transfer enablement as 'complex within Tesla’s sales framework,' he ultimately relented, granting another quarter for FSD transfers.
Electrek’s Take: A System in Perpetual Beta
As the discussion continues to resurface each quarter, many within the Tesla community argue that FSD transfers should be a given until the software fully meets its advertised capabilities. The notion of having to repurchase software that was neither fully delivered nor operational is, frankly, hard to digest. Other industries that pre-sell software and fail to deliver would face significant consumer backlash, possibly leading to legal ramifications.
While the current FSD does offer some advancements and improved functionalities, it still falls short of complete autonomy. Musk’s repeated assurances that true full self-driving capabilities are just a year away have not materialized, turning the feature into a perpetual 'beta' state.
Moreover, the current approach does not appear to stem from a desire to 'do right by' the customer. If that were the case, transfers would be permanent until the promised level 5 autonomy is finally achieved. Rather, these limited-time offers seem more tactical, coinciding with end-of-quarter rushes to bolster sales.
However, Tesla’s handling of FSD may face significant changes in the near future. With several legal cases alleging false advertising of Tesla’s FSD software currently moving through the courts, the resulting rulings could drastically alter how Tesla markets and sells this software – potentially even solidifying the rights of the owners.
As Tesla owners await further details on this latest FSD transfer window, the broader implications of these ongoing legal battles loom large, carrying the potential to redefine the landscape of autonomous driving software sales.
So, while the one-more-quarter offer provides a temporary reprieve, much remains uncertain regarding the future of FSD ownership and transfers.