At least 30,000 Tesla Cybertruck owners paid for FSD capability and got nothing

On November 30, 2023, Tesla delivered the first 10 Cybertrucks to their owners, ending a long period of uncertainty for pre-order holders. However, the joy would soon turn to disappointment, especially as Tesla significantly increased the price of its electric pickup. Not only did the Cybertruck cost significantly more than announced in 2019, but Tesla also charged a significant markup disguised as a Foundation Series package.

Given that interest in the Cybertruck was sky-high and that many of those who had pre-ordered it were intending to resell it for a profit, Tesla was probably right to raise the price. It could have asked for much more than $20,000 for its electric pickup and still found plenty of people willing to pay. The Foundation Series package, while not offering anything exclusive, was still offering value.

The included FSD The package alone was priced at $12,000 at the time, and Tesla added not only a host of accessories, but also Powershare installation credits and free Supercharging. However, Tesla lowered the FSD price to $8,000 in April, without changing the price of the Foundation Series package. This means that the Electric vehicle manufacturer has written off a fifth of the value of the Foundation Series package. All this without adding anything in return or even providing FSD capability.

When asked when Cybertruck owners would get working FSD on their trucks, Elon Musk made mixed promises. Initially, he said Full Self Driving would launch on the Cybertruck in June with V12.5. However, with FSD development hitting a roadblock in June, Cybertruck was once again put on the back burner. Even when Tesla launched FSD V12.5 last month, it wasn’t for Cybertruck yet. When asked again, Musk said it would be coming in September.

Until FSD is ready for the Cybertruck, owners will still be missing basic driver assistance systems, including Autopilot. Tesla currently only offers Vision Park Assist, a feature that displays a visualization of the vehicle’s surroundings. It’s better than nothing, but still not what owners were expecting. In the meantime, a Cybertruck with a VIN of over 30,000 has been spotted with a production date of August 19. That means over 30,000 owners are still waiting for driver assistance systems, including Autopilot and FSD.

At the current price, the FSD package costs only $1,000 more than the “blocked” price at the time of the Cybertruck’s unveiling when the first people placed a reservation. Tesla raised the FSD price to $8,000 in July 2020, meaning most early-bird reservation holders wouldn’t see much value in the locked-in FSD price. At the current price, that means Tesla has made the Cybertruck Foundation Series $4,000 more expensive.

It’s not yet clear how long Tesla will sell the Foundation Series model. Some reports say it will be offered for a year after delivery (that is, until December 2024). Others don’t think Tesla will lower the markup until next year unless forced by low demand. However, with new markets recently opened in Canada and Mexico, it may stick with the Foundation Series for a while until it runs out of new customers.