Tesla does not agree internally with Elon Musk’s view of when its highly-anticipated Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature will launch and it might not come this year, unearthed documents suggest. Months ago, Elon Musk promised investors that the advanced autonomous driving feature would arrive early this year. Tesla had also been offering the limited beta test for the feature for $10,000, promising a launch soon. However, according to an obtained California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) memo, a Tesla engineer has indicated that it is still a long way off.
FSD has always been the goal for both Tesla — and broadly speaking it is for the motor industry as a whole. Put simply, the feature envisions an electric car that can drive on its own with little to no input from a human driver. The driver-assistance systems available today have yet to reach that goal. Tesla’s vehicles, in fact, have only reached level 2 of vehicle autonomy. Though they can automate some driving such as cruising and keeping lanes, they still need human input. However, Musk had already promised subscriptions for FSD, which is intended to ultimately offer level 5 autonomy that required no driver input. The timeline has already been moved back, though. While early adopters can already pay the above fee on top of the car’s price to receive the feature in the future, they may yet be waiting a while longer.
In the memo, obtained via a public records request and published by PlainSite, a March 9, 2021, meeting between DMV and Tesla representatives is detailed. At it, a Tesla engineer casts doubt on Musk’s suggestion that the FSD feature will be delivered by the end of the year. The partly redacted text recounting their comment reads: “Elon’s tweet [about the FSD timeline] does not match engineering reality. Tesla is at Level 2 currently.“ It’s not clear which tweet this refers to based on those of Musk’s in the frame referenced. Nonetheless, the memo also indicates that Tesla could not say if the rate of improvement of the FSD feature will be enough to reach Level 5 by the end of 2021.
What Does This Mean For Early Adopters?
The price of a Tesla is nothing to scoff at. The company even raised the price of the Model 3, its most affordable, lately. An additional $10,000 investment for an unreleased feature is certainly substantial. Though the cost doesn’t come with a definitive timeline, the onus is on Tesla to deliver FSD in a timely fashion. An unfulfilled promise, especially one delivered by the CEO himself, does nothing to justify the price. Right now, customers buying into FSD will have to settle for the indeterminate timeline.
On the other hand, Tesla can also implement the subscription plan that it has toyed with in the past. In a previous tweet, Musk has confirmed that plans are coming sometime this year. Customers can opt for a monthly payment, instead of paying the entire $10,000 in one go. Doing so will ultimately benefit both the customer and the company. A subscription plan will likely be more attractive for customers, especially those leasing their cars. Plus, the company can grab more early adopters to beta test their FSD.
Source: PlainSite
