There’s plenty to criticize about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) package, which costs $15k and still lacks the advanced features that Elon Musk promised years ago. But the biggest problem with FSD is that it can’t be transferred to a new Tesla. Now, Elon Musk is temporarily reversing this policy.
Here’s the deal; if you order a Tesla before September 30th, it may inherit the FSD package from your old car. But the new vehicle needs to arrive at your door before the cutoff date. (Oddly, Tesla cannot guarantee delivery before September 30th. If you want to take advantage of this offer, don’t procrastinate.)
You don’t need to trade in your old Tesla to take advantage of this offer. But Tesla may remove FSD from your old car “up to one week” before the scheduled delivery date of your new vehicle.
Elon Musk calls this promotion a “one-time amnesty.” And I agree—“amnesty” is the correct word for this situation. Tesla has punished its most loyal customers by turning the $15,000 FSD package into a financial prison. Normally, you can’t transfer this package to a new vehicle, and ithardly contributesto your car’s value during trade-in. Those who bought the FSD package are forced to stick with their vehicle or flush thousands of dollars down the toilet when they upgrade.
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From Tesla’s perspective, the FSD package isn’t too different from buying an expensive vehicle trim. You can’t transfer heated seats from one vehicle to another, so why would you be able to transfer FSD?
The problem, of course, is that the FSD package is just software. It’s also grossly overpriced, and it’s failed to meet the autonomous driving goals Elon Musk laid out several years ago. Tesla should accommodate the loyal customers that are basically paying to beta test Full Self-Driving.
We’re happy to see Tesla run this promotion. But the way that Tesla treats its FSD package is still very frustrating. Anyway, please bear in mind that Tesla is preparingan upgraded versionof the Model 3. If you’re thinking of upgrading, I suggest looking into the refreshed Model 3 first, as it will feature an increased range and other improvements.
