Autonomous Driving: Tesla Seeks to Mask Commercial Failure

Heavily criticized for its danger and lack of reliability, the FSD (Full Self-Driving) package is trying to find customers.

Do Tesla customers have enough of being guinea pigs? Especially since their lives are sometimes at risk in the giant experiments of this California Tech Company that adheres to the “Test and Learn” principle. If it fails, no problem, we’ll do an update later to fix the errors.

Forums are filled with threads where owners no longer recognize their car overnight, thanks to an Over The Air update pushed without their consent. Features appear, others disappear or are moved to different submenus. The intuitive approach of Tesla’s early days, similar to that of an iPhone that a 3-year-old can handle in minutes, has completely vanished.

Accidents Galore

In the face of the increasing number of accidents in the United States where 100% autonomous driving is dangerously rolling out, we have to wonder, this side of the Atlantic, what drives this deadly race? Technological superiority over China? Fine, but at what cost? Ford is also in the spotlight at the beginning of April 2024 for two fatal accidents in the USA while its autonomous driving system, BlueCruise, was activated.

Tesla – which has the highest accident rate in the USA according to a study – has always touted its autonomous driving system as a unique feature in the world, to the point of offering it as an option for $12,000 in the United States. It was $15,000 at launch, but the percentage of customers willing to pay so much, nearly 40% of the price of a Tesla Model 3, forced a first price drop.

This price drop did nothing, accidents remain a fatal publicity problem. For the past few months, Tesla has been offering the system for 6 months to all new customers, giving them a taste of the product. After that, they can keep the FSD active through a simple monthly subscription without having to pay the initial $12,000 anymore.

It is this subscription that, in turn, sees its price cut in half in the United States, dropping from $199 to $99 per month. But it’s a dog chasing its tail: the idea of autonomous driving is to be able to move around with a relaxed mind to arrive at the destination less tired. However, currently, it’s rather anxiety that overwhelms users of the Full Self-Driving.

Let’s see the impact of price on mindsets. The Robotaxi, presented in August 2024, promises to stir discussions…

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