- Elon Musk sent an email mandating Tesla staff give demos of Full Self-Driving mode to new customers.
- Musk said “almost no one” realizes how well the software works.
- The software acts as a driver-assist add-on Tesla owners can purchase for $199 per month or $12,000.
Elon Musk said Tesla employees must give new customers a “short test ride” using the carmaker’s latest Full Self-Driving software, according to a leaked email that was first reported by Tesla fan @WholeMarsBlog and confirmed by Business Insider.
In an early morning email to staff, Musk said it was “mandatory” that staff install and activate the FSD software on the vehicle, as well as give a test drive.
“Almost no one actually realizes how well (supervised) FSD actually works,” Musk wrote. “I know this will slow down the delivery process, but it is nonetheless a hard requirement.”
Musk later sent a companywide follow up email telling staff to give customers demos after the vehicles are returned from service centers as well.
“This is very important,” Musk wrote in the follow up email.
A spokesperson for Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
All current Tesla models come with the carmaker’s Autopilot driver-assist program. Tesla owners can also buy the company’s Full Self-Driving beta feature for $12,000 or through a $199 monthly subscription. The beta feature enables the vehicle to automatically change lanes, enter and exit highways, recognize stop signs and traffic lights, and park. Both programs still require a licensed driver to monitor the system at all times, and Tesla’s AI system collects driver data to improve the system as drivers use it.
Tesla regularly rolls out new versions of FSD using over-the-air updates. The recent version of FSD, V12.3.1 started coming out this month, Musk said on X.
“Three significant improvements to FSD will roll out roughly every two weeks,” Musk wrote on X earlier in March. “Should be really shining bright by late April or early May.”
Over the past few years, Tesla has come under increased scrutiny from regulators over the self-driving software and the company’s marketing of the services.
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