- A Tesla marketing email suggests owners who buy FSD only get to keep it while they own the vehicle.
- This contradicts previous policies allowing FSD to be transferred after the vehicle was sold.
- Tesla’s FSD will only be available via a subscription starting Feb. 14.
A recent marketing email from Tesla has raised questions about the future of its Full Self-Driving (Supervised), or FSD, technology. Now, even when you buy the feature at full price, it may not be yours to own.
A Change in Ownership
Historically, Tesla has offered FSD as an add-on to its vehicles, available as a one-time purchase that could be transferred to the next owner in private transactions. This is important to owners because it increases the car’s resale value. The number has varied over the years, but recently settled at an extra $8,000 for the feature.
In recent news, Elon Musk announced that Tesla would offer FSD only as a subscription for $99 a month starting Feb. 14. The company has urged buyers to purchase the FSD at full price before that option is discontinued.
But now, according to the Tesla marketing email, it seems there’s a catch. The email, first reported by Electrek, states: “When you purchase Full Self-Driving (Supervised), it stays as long as you own it.”
This implies that a one-time purchase of FSD lasts only as long as you own your vehicle and can’t be transferred if you decide to sell it. This could be a dealbreaker for many people. What was once an investment in adding resale value to their Tesla is now gone. The feature will have to be repurchased by the next owners.
Is the Subscription Worth It?
However, others have thought that purchasing FSD outright, compared to the subscription model, wasn’t really worth it anyway. At $8,000 for the full price and $99 a month for the subscription, you’d have to keep the car for about seven years to break even if you buy it outright. For some owners, they might not even have the car that long before upgrading.
In addition, many software upgrades can happen over that amount of time. You may reach a point where your vehicle is no longer supporting these available updates. In this case, the subscription model might be more appealing. You wouldn’t lose out on a large portion of the $8,000 you paid if you needed to upgrade your vehicle to support the new software.
Whichever option is more appealing to you depends on your specific needs, but it’s important to be aware of all the details for each one — don’t miss the fine print.
Notes on Full “Self-Driving”
Just in case you’re new to the term, or want a refresher, there are five levels of self-driving technology. Industry standards classify Tesla’s FSD technology as level 2. Level 2 systems require drivers to keep their eyes focused on the road ahead. You must also be ready to take control of the vehicle at any moment.
Tesla states its FSD will make lane changes, navigate around other vehicles, and make left or right turns. However, they advise you must remain attentive as this technology does not make the vehicle fully autonomous.
Related: All About Self-Driving Cars
