Tesla is bringing back the capacity to transfer your Full Self-Driving package and/or free Supercharging on a new vehicle despite Elon Musk saying it would be a one-time deal in the past.
For years, Tesla owners who bought the up-to-$15,000 Full Self-Driving Capability package were asking for the capacity to transfer it when trading-in their vehicles for a new one.
The logic was sound: Tesla never delivered the self-driving capacity as promised. It only makes sense to allow owners to transfer the package to a new car for those who still believe that Tesla could eventually deliver through a software update.
Despite being the right thing to do, Tesla always resisted the idea.
Eventually, it agreed to do it, but only for orders placed in Q3 2023. CEO Elon Musk even wanted to make it clear that it was just a “one-time thing”:
This is a one-time amnesty, so it needs to be — you need to take advantage of it in Q3, but — or at least place the order in Q3 within — within reasonable delivery time frames. So, yeah, yeah, yeah, hope this makes people happy. But want to — I mean, this is a one-time thing, OK?
We criticized this move because it wasn’t about Tesla doing the right thing for its customers, but instead, it was simply creating a “demand lever” to try to produce more orders during that time period.
Now, Tesla is again allowing FSD transfer for new orders up until March 31st.
Electrek talked to two Tesla stores who confirmed that current Tesla owners with the FSD package and/or Free Supercharging assigned to their vehicles can either trade-in their vehicles for a new one and transfer the features or sign agreements to give up those features on their existing vehicles to apply them on a new order.
All Tesla vehicles except Cybertruck are eligible for the new offer.
Electrek’s Take
Top comment by Rosco P. Powertrain
It really seems like a no-brainer to allow any Tesla owner to transfer FSD to a new vehicle. It essentially costs Tesla $0 (unlike transferring free Super Charging), and is a great way to ensure customer retention.
I mean it's so obvious, it actually troubles me that Tesla needs cajoling.
If they insist on being cheeky, they could limit the transfers to purchases within their historically most challenging quarters, I guess. Still seems like playing silly games.
"But that's not all! If you call within the next 15 minutes, we'll DOUBLE your FSD order to TFSD (Totally Full Self Driving) for free*. "
*Beta=not yet Totally Full Self Driving. Driver must perform actual driving at all times in all circumstances in perpetuity until further notice. Subject to every contractual escape clause in the history of mankind. Just pay separate handling fee.
Edit: I actually have FSD in my 2018 Model 3. I love it! However, I also can see its current limitations. Looking forward to version 12, but I know it is still not going to be robotaxi worthy. The hardware in my car may never allow it to be.
I am glad the offer is back, but it’s also clear that this is a demand lever for Tesla, and it will probably keep using it as such with new deadlines to create an urgency to order. Elon straight-up lied about it being a “one-time” offer last time to try to generate more orders. It probably was really successful because of that the first time. Likely less so now.
There’s no doubt that this should be an offer always available to customers until Tesla delivers on its self-driving promise. That’s just common sense.
Despite my frustration about how Tesla is using its own incapacity to deliver on the feature as a demand lever, I have to admit that it might actually work on me as the owner of a Model 3 with FSD and a Model S with free Supercharging.
I could get a brand new car with both FSD and free Supercharging.
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