On September 5, Tesla raised the price of its Full Self-Driving semi-autonomous driving software to $15,000. That price has drawn the ire of many since the software itself is still unfinished according to Tesla’s own standards. Now, a new report sees some who already own FSD saying that it’s just not worth that kind of cash.
CNN Business reports that, after speaking with 13 individuals who own a Tesla with Full Self-Driving, 11 of them say that it’s not worth its new asking price. The entire group agreed that the technology has improved over time but some said that they have to pay more attention when FSD is engaged because it can be “unpredictable.”
One owner, Wisam Al-Rawi, acquired his Tesla four years ago when the price for FSD was just $2,500. Recently, he had Tesla remove the feature from his car citing frustration at its flaws. “I would never even pay $10,000 for it,” Al-Rawi told CNN Business. “They overpromised like crazy.”
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In 2015 and every year since then, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised that self-driving Teslas were only a year or two away. Another owner, Logan Rossignol, said that “There’s nothing in FSD that’s actually that useful, certainly not for this kind of money… You’re still paying for a promise. And what that’s worth to you is up to you.”
That promise is enough for at least a couple of those who spoke to CNN Business to remain positive about the technology. Sunny Gulati says that he personally feels an “inherent joy” when engaging with FSD in his own vehicle. For another owner, Don Burke, the promise of FSD holds out hope for a better life. He suffers from muscular dystrophy and will soon lose the use of his legs.
“I love being able to be mobile,” Burke said. “I desperately want a machine that I can own that can drive me to where I need to be when I get in a wheelchair.” For him, the $15,000 would be easily worth its cost.
It’s worth noting that in any group of consumers there will be some who believe a product isn’t worth what it’s priced at, including those who purchased that product. Additionally, a sample size of just 13 individuals out of thousands isn’t scientific. Despite that, there’s no question that Tesla’s pricing practices are coming under increasing scrutiny.