We have FSD Beta on both our Tesla and it's the most amazing automotive thing I've ever seen. You do need to stay aware of your surroundings and ready to take over at any time, but it really can drive the car all over the place and through amazingly complex situations without needing any intervention on most drives.
Buying FSD is a one-time purchase, the price never ratchets up after you have bought it. They raise the price for new purchasers as it becomes increasingly more functional, but you only pay if you want the increased functionality from Autopilot or Enhanced Autopilot.
Most surprising, every new Tesla comes with Autopilot at no charge. This is amazing for long freeway trips. No subscription required and no upfront cost. Also, no one is forcing anyone to buy FSD Beta. If you find a Tesla in the desired model, color and trim options, except it has FSD Beta at $15K extra, Tesla will instantly remove it and reduce the price by $15K, if you don't want FSD.
It's freedom of choice. Buy FSD if you want it or don't buy it if you don't want to. Nobody is forcing anyone to spend money they don't want. As someone who owns FSD, I'm amazed why it bothers some people that it's available. The statistics prove that use of FSD Beta actually reduces the accident rate per 1,000,000 miles. I guess media stories present the opposite impression, so people who think it's risky could be forgiven but the facts show its reducing accidents and deaths overall. And there are billions of miles already recorded with FSD and Autopilot in actual use so there is plenty of data to prove it's reducing the average rate of accidents and deaths.
It's not surprising that The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is not doing anything to limit the use of FSD Beta considering that the data shows it's actually very beneficial for safety. Pointing out an isolated accident and trying to imply that it must be dangerous is pretty transparent. |
