Tesla will offer a free one-month trial of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta to US customers. This promotion starts this week. It aims to let more people experience Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance technology. Tesla wants to highlight the capabilities of its self-driving software to potential buyers.
Tesla FSD One Month Free Trial
The FSD Beta is an upgrade from Tesla’s standard Autopilot. It adds more self-driving features and costs $12,000. As the first quarter of 2024 ends, Tesla wants to meet or exceed its sales targets. Offering the FSD Beta trial could attract buyers and boost sales. However, this strategy may make Tesla’s purchase process more complicated. It could impact how customers view the buying experience.
This promotion also unfolds against the backdrop of an upcoming civil lawsuit related to a fatal 2018 crash involving Autopilot, spotlighting the scrutiny over Tesla’s representation of its autonomous driving technology and its safety implications. The trial’s timing underscores the critical nature of this promotional period for Tesla, highlighting the balance between technological advancement and safety considerations.
All US cars that are capable of FSD will be enabled for a one month trial this week
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 26, 2024
Offering the FSD Beta trial is part of Tesla’s plan to improve its self-driving tech. Recently, Tesla released the V12 version of FSD software. This update uses only neural networks which is an important technical achievement. The Tesla community including executives and loyal customers welcomed this update positively. However, user experiences with the V12 update have been mixed.
By extending the FSD Beta to a wider audience, Tesla aims to gather more data to refine its neural network models further. However, this expansion raises concerns about the readiness of a broader user base to adhere strictly to the supervision requirements necessary for safe use of the FSD system.
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has called the FSD Beta v12 software “mind-blowing.” However, despite its advanced capabilities, FSD is still classified as a “Level 2” system under current definitions. This means drivers must stay attentive and be ready to take control.
The free trial aims to let more Tesla owners experience FSD, which comes with a high upfront cost or requires a subscription. Tesla wants to showcase FSD’s value and potential to encourage wider adoption among its customer base.
Conclusion
Past promotions and the number of customers buying FSD suggest Tesla wants more of its customer base to try the advanced driver-assistance features. This free trial is a major effort by Tesla to get widespread adoption of its FSD technology, despite the challenges and controversies around it.
As Tesla runs this ambitious promotion, the auto industry and consumers will closely watch how it impacts views on self-driving tech and Tesla’s position in that space.
