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Q3 Earnings Call: Questions about FSD

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It'll be interesting how Tesla will separate or not Autopilot behaviors once feature complete. Notably basic Autopilot can currently be enabled anytime it sees at least one line to follow, but FSD will need to handle unlined roads common in residential areas.

Will basic Autopilot generally be lane and distance keeping anywhere while FSD improves on that with decision making?
 
Not directly on topic, but I read a report that the deferred revenue for FSD is around $500 million. So I can definitely see why Tesla would want to release FSD "feature complete" as soon as possible. It might explain, at least in part, why Tesla set the deadline of "end of this year" for releasing the last 2 FSD features on the website (traffic light and automatic city driving) and therefore declare FSD "feature complete".
 
The deferred revenue aspect is an interesting accounting problem. What changes allow recognizing that money? Are those only from new "features" and not from "improvements?" E.g., Smart Summon is only allowed within ~200 feet right now, but if that restriction is removed, there's no additional revenue from existing owners?

At least from Zachary Kirkhorn from Q3 call: "Note that with the release of Smart Summon in the US, we were able to recognize $30 million of deferred revenue. As we expand Smart Summon to additional markets and release new features, we will continue to recognize additional deferred revenue."

So if we follow what the CFO said explicitly, it seems like revenue recognition comes from "features" that have been made available to owners in a given region.

If Tesla really needed a revenue boost for Q4 and "feature complete" isn't ready, would they release a partial feature, say only stopping at traffic lights but not resuming nor stop signs?

Maybe Elon Musk has always been talking about "feature complete" from an accounting perspective instead of an engineering one…
 
Not directly on topic, but I read a report that the deferred revenue for FSD is around $500 million. So I can definitely see why Tesla would want to release FSD "feature complete" as soon as possible. It might explain, at least in part, why Tesla set the deadline of "end of this year" for releasing the last 2 FSD features on the website (traffic light and automatic city driving) and therefore declare FSD "feature complete".
Since Musk is now talking about only release to Early Access (that too just a "hopeful" statement) in Q4 - I'd look for FC wide release in Q1 '20. That is also likely where the deferred revenue might come in handy since Q1 is seasonally low (Q4 is anyway going to be good).

ps : I had estimated $30m to $50m for summon. They recognized $30m.
 
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Since Musk is now talking about only release to Early Access (that too just a "hopeful" statement) in Q4 - I'd look for FC wide release in Q1 '20. That is also likely where the deferred revenue might come in handy since Q1 is seasonally low (Q4 is anyway going to be good).

Agree. I think FC wide release in Q1 '20 is more likely.
 
Not directly on topic, but I read a report that the deferred revenue for FSD is around $500 million. So I can definitely see why Tesla would want to release FSD "feature complete" as soon as possible. It might explain, at least in part, why Tesla set the deadline of "end of this year" for releasing the last 2 FSD features on the website (traffic light and automatic city driving) and therefore declare FSD "feature complete".
Will this be released once Tesla claims “feature complete” even tho we still have nothing close to FSD