Just recently, Elon Musk personally assigned a new task to frontline sales staff.
In the wee hours of the night, he sent out an email requiring them to ensure that customers experience FSD at least once before taking delivery of their vehicles.
After the news was leaked, netizens were all shocked:
Mate, are you kidding me?
Some attentive netizens have noticed a change on the Tesla purchase page, providing a reasonable explanation for Musk's latest directive. Musk's new sales task was revealed through an internal memo.
Musk has requested in the memo that sales in the North American region must include short test drives of FSD with customers before delivery. He emphasizes that most people aren't fully aware of how great the current performance of (supervised) FSD is. Musk acknowledges that this task isn't easy and will slow down the delivery process, but he evidently believes it's worthwhile in the end. Why did Musk issue such a directive?
Some analysts argue that this demonstrates Musk's confidence in FSD, which has evolved to a level robust enough for widespread adoption, prompting Musk to issue such directives.
The majority of online users express approval of Musk's decision.
Some internet users were puzzled by this decision, but later, there was a change on the Tesla official website that clarified their doubts.
All Tesla vehicles now come with a free trial of Full Self-Driving (FSD) functionality.
Following Elon Musk's directive, the ordering pages for Model X, Model Y, Model S, and other models in North America were simultaneously updated.
Recently purchased these models of cars, and a one-month trial of FSD will be provided. For some reason, the Model 3 page remains unchanged.
Based on Musk's recent response, it seems like this is a bug.
Musk emphasized that starting this week, all Tesla vehicles in the US can enjoy a free one-month trial of FSD.
This means that as long as the car meets the requirements, both new and existing Tesla owners in the US can enjoy a free one-month trial of FSD.
Gary Black, Tesla investor and managing partner at Future Fund, believes that Musk's new sales target combined with the free trial policy for FSD will cause a massive surge in FSD subscription rates.
Furthermore, he estimates that for every 10% increase in FSD subscription rates, Tesla's earnings per share will increase by $0.1. It is understood that Tesla currently has approximately 3.471 billion shares outstanding, meaning that for every 10% increase, the total earnings per share will increase by around 2.5 billion CNY.
The recent evolution of FSD capabilities will also contribute to the expansion of subscription scale.
FSD recently updated to version 12.3.1 a few days ago. Videos uploaded by car owners show that compared to the early stages of V12 Beta testing, FSD's performance in rainy and snowy conditions has significantly improved.
Even car owners are marveling:
"This is the most powerful version in FSD history."
Let's shift our focus back home and examine the implications of Tesla's actions.
In 2024, domestic car manufacturers in China made a swift transition from the "battle for urban market share" to "accessible everywhere nationwide." Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have become widespread, covering all regions and terrains, from urban areas to rural landscapes.
Players like DJI, Xiaopeng, HoloMatic, among others, are also driving down the cost of ADAS, making it more accessible to a wider audience.
Currently, car manufacturers offer two main policies for ADAS services:
Tesla's latest initiatives, requiring customers to experience Full Self-Driving (FSD) before delivery and offering a one-month free trial of FSD to all owners, aim to provide an opportunity for those hesitant or constrained by budget to experience FSD on a longer-term basis.The safety and convenience brought by Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are compelling, and once experienced, users are unlikely to revert. Tesla's measures are likely to accelerate the adoption of ADAS.
Moreover, they might even spur the development of new financial products. Tech bloggers who have exposed Musk's internal memos have already suggested that Tesla introduce zero-interest loans specifically for FSD.
It's worth noting that there are already financial products related to advanced driver assistance systems available in China:
Not long ago, Jiyue Motors introduced "Zhidao Bao," an exclusive insurance product for advanced intelligent driving.
The widespread adoption of advanced intelligent driving brings far more than just individual convenience for car owners.
