In the US, Tesla offers the “Full Self-Driving Capability” option for $15,000. Over 285,000 US customers have already purchased this self-driving technology, although it is still in beta.
Tesla will close the year again with very good numbers, despite some concerns that are still and always related to the supply of certain materials, including the famous semiconductors.
In addition to the excellent sales results of the Tesla Model Y, the American manufacturer is also happy on Twitter with the good results of its Full Self Driving option marketed in North America. In fact, according to Tesla, 285,000 North American customers have each paid the $15,000 required for this technology.
A system that is still under development
We are far from the million users announced by Elon Musk, but this number is nevertheless very interesting and is far above the predictions of some analysts.
About 1.5 million Teslas are eligible (including those already on the way via an update), which means that around 20% of them have the option of full self-driving.
– Continued ramping up vehicle production at Giga Texas & Giga Berlin, both building 3k Model Y/week in mid-December
– Reached 500,000+ installations of solar panels and sunroofs 🏘⚡️
– Enables anyone in North America who purchased FSD to request FSD Beta, reaching a total of 285,000 cars—Tesla (@Tesla) 29 December 2022
Keep in mind that this technology is still in beta. More features have been added, others removed, but recent user feedback is starting to show a particularly well-developed system.
At the moment, of course, we do not know when the final version will be available.
The legislator also has a key role
Several elements come into play, including in particular the various laws that are likely to develop. In Europe, for example, such a system cannot be marketed in the current situation, although the Old Continent has taken a step forward this year with the possibility of using level 3 semi-autonomous driving, but in a very specific setting. So far, only the Mercedes EQS and S-Class are equipped with this technology, that no longer requires you to keep your hands on the steering wheel.
The US is more advanced than us at this level, although the framework around this technology is still closely monitored. California has just passed a law that protects consumers and obliges manufacturers and dealers to provide accurate information about the operation of driver assistance devices, so as not to make customers believe that the car can drive completely autonomously.
This system always requires some vigilance on the part of the driver, which must be able to regain control at any time. This device is therefore still considered a level 2 autonomous driving system.
We explain to you what the different levels of autonomous driving correspond to. Between fully autonomous driving, semi-autonomous driving and driving aids, we help you see things more clearly.
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