Poll: 81% of Prospective Model 3 Owners Say They Won’t Pay Upfront For Full Self-Driving

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It seems most prospective Model 3 owners aren’t willing to shell out cash upfront for a $3,000 “full self-driving capability” option that is likely years away from becoming available to engage.

In a poll posted by jsraw 81.3% (347) of respondents said they will not pay for the feature at purchase. Adding the option later will cost an additional $1,000. Of respondents, 18.7% said they will pay for FSD upfront.

According to Tesla’s website, FSD “doubles the number of active cameras from four to eight, enabling full self-driving in almost all circumstances, at what we believe will be a probability of safety at least twice as good as the average human driver. The system is designed to be able to conduct short and long distance trips with no action required by the person in the driver’s seat. For Superchargers that have automatic charge connection enabled, you will not even need to plug in your vehicle.”

Elon Musk has said that level 5 autonomous driving is possible with second generation Autopilot and the FSD option, meaning the car is fully autonomous in any and all conditions. During his TED talk in April, Musk said the company plans to conduct by the end of 2017 a coast-to-coast demo drive from California to New York without the driver touching the wheel.

Obviously, there will be regulatory hurdles ahead and Musk has said it will likely be two years before owners will be able to engage FSD capability.

See a few comments on the poll below, or go to the thread here.

Swift

EinSV

jason1466

Waiting4M3

Enginerd[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

 

[Sudre]

I have a local tax use tax of 4.45% yearly and a one time state sales tax of 4.23% both on purchase price.
The yearly "use tax" depreciates to the advantage of the city.

My taxes on the long range with premium package is $4,252.
The following years use tax will go down but if anything like my Model S the values stay high after the first year.
2nd year use tax guess around $1700
3rd $1300
4th $1000

With EAP and FSD both, taxes would be $4947.
2nd year use tax $2000
3rd $1700 (seems odd but that's from rounding)
4th $1300

That's an increase of almost $1500 if the resale values is anywhere I think they will be. Since FSD won't be legal in MO until at least almost all other states have approved it (in other words several years or more) I will not get FSD.
I will not get EAP because of taxes. It's cheaper for me to purchase either afterwards since my wife typically owns her cars until they stop running. Her Toyota is 18 years old and still going.

Altho.... if MO still hasn't figured out if it's legal for Tesla to own dealers in my state by the time my wife's 3 comes up I will register it in Florida. I don't think it's fair my state gets sales tax when they don't want a product sold in their state. Currently in MO it's not legal for Tesla to have dealerships but the dealerships they have can stay open until the appeal is heard. If I register it in Florida I'll go ahead and get EAP.

 

[JeffK]

Seeing as current AP2 isn't even using hardly any cameras, I would not put much faith into what some random person at Tesla said. While it may technically work as they demonstrated in the early videos, I think there is far more than just legal reasons it is not out.

Many companies now have software near lvl 3 or 4. Not a single one has it released commercially to end consumers.

 

[jsrawa]

I have a local tax use tax of 4.45% yearly and a one time state sales tax of 4.23% both on purchase price.
The yearly "use tax" depreciates to the advantage of the city.

My taxes on the long range with premium package is $4,252.
The following years use tax will go down but if anything like my Model S the values stay high after the first year.
2nd year use tax guess around $1700
3rd $1300
4th $1000

With EAP and FSD both, taxes would be $4947.
2nd year use tax $2000
3rd $1700 (seems odd but that's from rounding)
4th $1300

That's an increase of almost $1500 if the resale values is anywhere I think they will be. Since FSD won't be legal in MO until at least almost all other states have approved it (in other words several years or more) I will not get FSD.
I will not get EAP because of taxes. It's cheaper for me to purchase either afterwards since my wife typically owns her cars until they stop running. Her Toyota is 18 years old and still going.

Altho.... if MO still hasn't figured out if it's legal for Tesla to own dealers in my state by the time my wife's 3 comes up I will register it in Florida. I don't think it's fair my state gets sales tax when they don't want a product sold in their state. Currently in MO it's not legal for Tesla to have dealerships but the dealerships they have can stay open until the appeal is heard. If I register it in Florida I'll go ahead and get EAP.

With ownership tax and interest on the amount if you choose to finance the upfront "discount" definately diminishes, something to keep in mind.

I'm currently in MO as well but will likely be in CO by the time I take delivery but both states have an "ownership tax". I agree that MO doesn't deserve the taxes given the loops they are making Tesla jump through.

 

[Big Dog]

No, tesla autopilot is a complete scam and utter failure. Save your money until AP is working to your comfort level. Do not believe the hype.

Even better, cancel your Rez now! Send a message to that AP charlatan.

 

[RubberToe]

Working with software engineers for 40 years leaves me somewhat jaded. I'll gladly pony up the $5k as "soon" as it becomes available.

RT

 

[AceSkywalker]

Resounding no. I don't preorder software, full stop. Besides, if the car gets totaled before the first FSD feature gets released, then you just pissed away $3000 for nothing. As for government regulation, you can be assured its going to take a while, and I'll bet that the topic of autonomous vehicles with no human required is going to be politicized every which way.

 

[Maaz]

Resounding no. I don't preorder software, full stop. Besides, if the car gets totaled before the first FSD feature gets released, then you just pissed away $3000 for nothing. As for government regulation, you can be assured its going to take a while, and I'll bet that the topic of autonomous vehicles with no human required is going to be politicized every which way.

Yeah I agree with this unless it's refundable.

 

[oktane]

Sorry Tesla, no more interest free loans for you. We the people have caught on to your antics.

 

[DrivingRockies]

As for government regulation, you can be assured its going to take a while,

Colorado is one of three states that has already started putting pro-FSD legislation in the books.

 

[Phrixotrichus]

I´m not preordering promises, especially not software ones.
Looking at the bureaucratric side of things makes me a bit pessimistic, too. Even if someone had the soft and hardware for full FSD right now I´d expect several years until the different regulations could keep up.
I´d love to be proven wrong though.

Can´t wait for the day where I simply tell my car to drive me to xy.

 

[Kacey Green]

In my state if I purchase it at the time of sale I believe it will increase my ownership tax due to increased MSRP. In addition if you finance the amount of FSD you're not really looking at that big of a discount or motivation to purchase up front. I'll probably wait but I could change my mind.

In mine you get the pleasure of paying every year, so I'll get it as DLC, maybe even while it's on the truck

 

[Kacey Green]

Obviously. Right now, there is no timetable for it's release. The LA to NY run was cancelled. Assuming that some people are beginning to configure their cars, or will be soon, it really makes no sense to order FSD with zero functionality.

As of the shareholder call it is still on but maybe late

 

[McRat]

As of the shareholder call it is still on but maybe late

We will see.

 

[david_42]

Definitely not. It's difficult to imagine FSD actually working until the early '20s; this for our urban/suburban environment. I live on a county maintained road, but it doesn't have striping and you can be driving along when suddenly half your lane becomes a ditch. At the corner closest to me, when you stop, you are facing the drivers coming from the opposite direction, the road jogs while passing through the intersection. Part of the road has curbs, part has ditches, part has neither. And that's just what you go through to get to the main road.

 

[gregincal]

Remember, the FSD feature might provide benefits before it's really able to drive itself in all circumstances. Negotiating stop signs and stop lights would be big. However, right now it provides zero features, so that's a no for me.

 

[chronopc]

Remember, the FSD feature might provide benefits before it's really able to drive itself in all circumstances. Negotiating stop signs and stop lights would be big. However, right now it provides zero features, so that's a no for me.

Negotiating stop signs and stop lights should be part of the EAP. The way that Tesla talks about FSD, it seems like it's all about no touch driving.

 

[gregincal]

Negotiating stop signs and stop lights should be part of the EAP. The way that Tesla talks about FSD, it seems like it's all about no touch driving.

EAP specifically lists the things it provides. The only thing not implemented yet is freeway to freeway transfers and freeway exiting. Anything to do with Navigating city streets is part of the FSD package, which uses all the cameras.

 

[AustinPowers]

I plan on holding onto my first Model 3 (lease after all) for no longer than three years max, then decide whether to get a second one or buy a competitor, if there is an attractive alternative by then. Have no need for EAP and will certainly not get FSD. Hard to imagine that FSD will be legal within three years anyway, over here that is.

 

[chronopc]

EAP specifically lists the things it provides. The only thing not implemented yet is freeway to freeway transfers and freeway exiting. Anything to do with Navigating city streets is part of the FSD package, which uses all the cameras.

The Tesla website mentions that features will continue to be introduced. So, I'm hoping this means they plan on adding more features. When I did my test drive, the Tesla rep mentioned that currently EAP is only meant for highway driving but in the future it would also do city streets. You can use EAP on city streets now, but it won't stop at stop signs or red lights yet.

Enhanced Autopilot
Enhanced Autopilot adds these new capabilities to the Tesla Autopilot driving experience. Your Tesla will match speed to traffic conditions, keep within a lane, automatically change lanes without requiring driver input, transition from one freeway to another, exit the freeway when your destination is near, self-park when near a parking spot and be summoned to and from your garage.

Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot software has begun rolling out and features will continue to be introduced as validation is completed, subject to regulatory approval.

 

[WileyTheMan]

EAP would be nice, but can't justify the expense. So obviously that throws FSD out the window. Let them pull data from my car to help improve it, I don't mind. Maybe after a year or two of ownership, I'll consider getting the DLC.