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When I saw the new $5,000 option for a 3-year package of Full Self Driving (FSD), Free Supercharging, and Premium Connectivity for Tesla Model S and Model X buyers, my first thought was that Tesla was changing the incentives again to stimulate more demand. But it only took a few seconds for something to occur to me, and then as I started thinking about writing this article, something else crossed my mind.
The first thing that made me say “hmm…” was centered around Elon Musk's hype for robotaxis that are almost ready. If FSD is almost ready for prime time, and FSD should be EXPLODE the value of the car if it is really capable of self-driving cars and robotaxi service, why would Tesla give it away so cheap for 3 years? By this logic, Tesla is adding something to this broader package that should be worth tens of thousands of dollars on its own in a year or two. See what I mean? This doesn’t match up with Elon Musk’s expectations for what Tesla is going to accomplish with AI and FSD in the next 6 months to a year.
To me this is practically an admission that Tesla is not Actually that is close to robotaxi capacity. Either that, or … Tesla has pressing, immediate consumer demand issues and wants to boost sales at all costs.
Frankly, if Tesla is constantly changing the free features or bonuses it offers to attract buyers, it already seems like Tesla is having problems with consumer demand. Add to that the fact that Tesla has been offering FSD for three years now And That's just one part of a bigger picture. Tesla seems to be having a harder time attracting buyers.
In this case, at least, we're “just” talking about the Model S and Model X, which of course cost more, but are far less substantial vehicles than the Model 3 and Model Y, and thus less important to Tesla's revenue. That said, they should also be Tesla's highest-margin models, and the more Tesla has to entice buyers with perks, the more it cuts into those profit-enhancing margins.
Is it time to panic? No. But are there strong signs that Tesla is having buyer demand issues? I think so!
What do you think of these new FSD + free Supercharging + Premium Connectivity bundles for Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X buyers? Signs of concern? Or is Tesla just being generous and altruistic?
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