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Elon Musk Promises One Month Free FSD Trial to All Tesla Cars in North America

Tesla FSD Beta is a hot topic, especially as many owners want Tesla to offer more favorable conditions to beta testers. Elon Musk promised Tesla would offer a one-month trial period for the FSD Beta software to all cars in North America. Still, Musk wants the software to become "super smooth" before offering customers the chance to test it.
Elon Musk promised one month of free FSD trial to all Tesla cars in North America 6 photos
Photo: @DBurkland via Twitter | Edited
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Many people said the FSD capability being non-transferable from one car to another was the main reason they didn't wish to upgrade their Tesla. The subject is hot right now, especially as Tesla organized a survey about things owners want to be improved. The option to transfer the FSD capability to a new car, even for a reasonable fee, was as important as a better service experience.

The FSD capability is a whopping $15,000 in the US if you order it now with a new car, or you can activate it via a $199 monthly subscription. The same feature costs 19,500 CAD north of the border, where no subscription is offered. Tesla accounts for around 400,000 FSD beta testers in North America, although the number has been flat in the past months. Paying the steep upfront price is not very popular, and Musk often expressed frustration that folks don't understand the true value of FSD.

Musk was asked by a Canadian Tesla owner when Tesla would offer an FSD subscription in Canada. After all, people need to experience the software first-hand to understand its value. Musk didn't answer directly but said that Tesla would offer a one-month trial for all cars in North America "once FSD is super smooth (not just safe)." The trial program would later be extended to the rest of the world after it works well on local roads and gets regulatory approval.

In a subsequent tweet, Musk explained that Tesla prioritizes safety over smoothness for the time being. For this reason, new users are not always comfortable trying the FSD Beta software. Once Tesla achieves "a higher tier of safety," the EV maker will start polishing the driving experience. Only then the FSD Beta will be offered for trial to North American Tesla owners. A free trial would be vital in convincing more people to try FSD Beta, as most don't want to pay $199 per month.

This is understandable, as not even all those who bought the FSD Beta capability are satisfied with the purchase. The self-driving features can work better or worse depending on the region and how many FSD drives are counted in the area. The software learns from past drives, which explains the mixed-bag experience different people report. Some say the FSD Beta is already polished enough for a wide release, while others swear it's still misbehaving in certain situations.

Certainly, Musk understands that, and that's why he wants to wait before offering everybody free trials. If people test the FSD Beta as it is and are unsatisfied, there are slim chances they would pay for the subscription or buy the feature. And, most likely, they would not get another opportunity to try it again for free because that's the whole point of a free trial. Thus, the first impression must be as good as possible.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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