Tesla EV owners who want to know how the Full Self-Driving (FSD) works will need to pay up a whopping $10,000, and the autonomous driving feature is still in the beta stage. Elon Musk has announced earlier that FSD's price will be bumped from $8,000 and his company made good on the promise.
Tesla implemented the price hike even as FSD remains far from the ideal Lever 4 or Level 5 of self-driving standard. The FSD beta currently rolling out is ready for use by a select number of Tesla EV drivers but as Musk pointed out, the feature will need intervention from those on the driver's seat.
In other words, FSD is not yet in full form and based on the SAE International standard, Tesla's autonomous driving cannot be categorized as "true self-driving," per the report by Tech Crunch.
The price bump seemed in support of the earlier projections made by Musk that FSD will gain further improvements in the coming months. The Tesla CEO said work is continuing to achieve final cut release for the feature and he promised that the full version should be out before the end of 2021.
Initial tests of the FSD produced mixed but mostly nerve-wracking scenarios. Following the beta rollout, users shared their experience on social media, and many encountered near-accident situations. Some were seen stopping in the middle of the crossroads and others nearly hitting other vehicles.
Without Tesla admitting the fact, FSD is far from ready but Musk insisted that paying top-dollar for the package is justified. He explained that users are getting a significant discount in purchasing a technology that will be pricier once it reaches its full potential.
In reality, however, Tesla's approach is akin to a Kickstarter campaign, wherein customers pay the high price for a product that has yet to be completed. The lure is that when FSD achieves perfection, it will become more expensive and those who get it earlier were the lucky ones.
In giving up a large sum for FSD, Electrek said Tesla users are essentially putting their money on Musk's words - that the Tesla CEO will deliver on his promises and the customers will reap the benefits in the end.
But that happening is hard to see with the manner FSD is progressing. The technology is still plagued by too many errors and the fair assumption is it would take a few more years for Tesla to hit its FSD target.
The same Electrek report added that FSD will get better but not within the timeline provided by Musk. The safer projection would be over the next two years, and that is being generous. So, the report said, shelling out $10,000 for the beta release is not a fair deal at all.
