Photo: Tesla | Edited
Tesla sells the non-transferrable FSD Capability for $15,000 in the US, although this option has no value when you sell your car or even trade it in. Elon Musk promised to look into it, although you should not hold your breath. If you still want to test the FSD beta, the $199 subscription is a better option.
Tesla's Full Self-Driving capability has been a controversial feature since its introduction in 2019. Although hyped as a technology allowing cars to drive themselves without needing a human supervisor, the FSD Beta software has never quite delivered. It has improved with time, although Elon Musk's many promises that automated driving will be ready "by the end of the year" never came true. In the meantime, Tesla has raised the price of the FSD Beta capability in anticipation of the promised breakthrough. What started in 2019 as a $5,000 upgrade is now $15,000.
For most Tesla owners, the FSD capability does not offer any benefits. The FSD Beta program is currently available only in the US and Canada, with no timeframe for other regions. Even in North America, not all Tesla customers can access the program. Worse, not everyone who paid for the $15,000 option can use it. A good example is the 2023 Model S and Model X with Hardware 4 computers, which still lack software support to run the FSD Beta software.
The biggest issue with the FSD Beta is not that it is unavailable or limited despite the steep price. It's that the license is tied to the vehicle. Many have since sold their cars without benefitting from the FSD Capability they bought. Others have had their Teslas crashed and totaled, writing off the money spent on the FSD capability option. The few still have it on their cars are holding on to them, not wanting to pay again or lose access. This kept many people from upgrading their vehicles.
Some people still believe the FSD is an investment into a technology that will become unaffordable when it's ready. Some even think you can sell FSD-enabled Teslas for a premium because of the FSD Beta. That is simply not the case. Perhaps you could get a little more on an FSD-enabled Tesla when you sell it, but nowhere near $15,000. This is no different if you want to trade in your FSD-capable car for another Tesla. In this case, the trade-in offer values the FSD option at zero dollars. That's right. Tesla basically says the FSD is worth nothing.
This has been transmitted in plain words to a Tesla owner by a Used Tesla Advisor. "FSD does not change the value of your car," writes the email, adding that the offer is non-negotiable. The owner only found this out after ordering a new car. Rejecting the "offer" would also mean canceling the new car order, losing the $1,000 transport fee and $500 order fee. Tesla fully expects you to pay the full price of the FSD again when you upgrade your vehicle.
Two years ago, Elon Musk promised to look into this and admitted that FSD should have "a reasonable value" when doing a trade-in. Still, nothing has changed since then, as the recent email shows. People would really want the option to transfer the FSD license to a new car when upgrading. In a recent poll on Tesla's Twitter account, this was one of the most popular requests. For those that don't want to gamble on the FSD future, the subscription is still the best option to try and see if the software is worth the money. This comes with the important benefit that you can pause or cancel the subscription whenever you want.
For most Tesla owners, the FSD capability does not offer any benefits. The FSD Beta program is currently available only in the US and Canada, with no timeframe for other regions. Even in North America, not all Tesla customers can access the program. Worse, not everyone who paid for the $15,000 option can use it. A good example is the 2023 Model S and Model X with Hardware 4 computers, which still lack software support to run the FSD Beta software.
The biggest issue with the FSD Beta is not that it is unavailable or limited despite the steep price. It's that the license is tied to the vehicle. Many have since sold their cars without benefitting from the FSD Capability they bought. Others have had their Teslas crashed and totaled, writing off the money spent on the FSD capability option. The few still have it on their cars are holding on to them, not wanting to pay again or lose access. This kept many people from upgrading their vehicles.
Some people still believe the FSD is an investment into a technology that will become unaffordable when it's ready. Some even think you can sell FSD-enabled Teslas for a premium because of the FSD Beta. That is simply not the case. Perhaps you could get a little more on an FSD-enabled Tesla when you sell it, but nowhere near $15,000. This is no different if you want to trade in your FSD-capable car for another Tesla. In this case, the trade-in offer values the FSD option at zero dollars. That's right. Tesla basically says the FSD is worth nothing.
This has been transmitted in plain words to a Tesla owner by a Used Tesla Advisor. "FSD does not change the value of your car," writes the email, adding that the offer is non-negotiable. The owner only found this out after ordering a new car. Rejecting the "offer" would also mean canceling the new car order, losing the $1,000 transport fee and $500 order fee. Tesla fully expects you to pay the full price of the FSD again when you upgrade your vehicle.
Two years ago, Elon Musk promised to look into this and admitted that FSD should have "a reasonable value" when doing a trade-in. Still, nothing has changed since then, as the recent email shows. People would really want the option to transfer the FSD license to a new car when upgrading. In a recent poll on Tesla's Twitter account, this was one of the most popular requests. For those that don't want to gamble on the FSD future, the subscription is still the best option to try and see if the software is worth the money. This comes with the important benefit that you can pause or cancel the subscription whenever you want.
When is Tesla going to value FSD on trade-ins @elonmusk, especially now that it costs $19.5K in Canada and $15K in the US?
— Drive Tesla ???????? (@DriveTeslaca) May 9, 2023
Here's an email from a Used Tesla Advisor two weeks ago saying FSD adds zero value.
If FSD is not going to be valued on trade-ins, then a transfer should… https://t.co/fp3JO9k2B1 pic.twitter.com/prMvO6s4ZN
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