Tesla Changes the Meaning of ‘Full Self-Driving,’ Gives Up on Promises of Autonomy Author: Fred Lambert Date: September 5, 2025 --- Tesla has officially altered the meaning of its “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) feature, abandoning its original promise of delivering full unsupervised autonomous driving. Background Since 2016, Tesla claimed all its vehicles in production would be capable of unsupervised self-driving. CEO Elon Musk repeatedly promised full autonomy by the end of each year since 2018. Tesla marketed and sold the “Full Self-Driving Capability” package for up to $15,000, assuring customers that software updates would enable full autonomy. Nearly a decade later, this promise remains unfulfilled. Tesla has confirmed that cars produced from 2016 to 2023 lack required hardware for full autonomous driving. No concrete upgrade plan has been implemented despite Musk’s discussions about computer upgrades. New Definition of FSD Tesla has updated the branding to sell “Full Self-Driving (Supervised),” explicitly stating it does not make the vehicle autonomous or promise autonomous driving as a feature. Tesla’s CEO compensation package targets “10 Million Active FSD Subscriptions,” but with a vague redefinition of FSD: > “FSD” means an advanced driving system, regardless of the marketing name, capable of performing transportation tasks that provide autonomous or similar functionality under specified driving conditions. This loose definition can encompass the current FSD version, which requires constant driver supervision. The original promise of full autonomy—such as sleeping while the vehicle drives itself—has effectively been dropped. Implications Tesla may lower the price of FSD and even remove base Autopilot, pushing customers toward a supervised version. This shift could allow Elon Musk to earn extremely lucrative stock options without Tesla delivering on full autonomy. Tesla has already been reducing FSD prices substantially, by about $7,000 since its peak in 2023. Critics argue this amounts to false advertising or a bait-and-switch tactic. Community Reactions Some commenters point out that Tesla’s vehicles, especially the Cybertruck, lack basic driver-assist features (adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, lane keeping, etc.) that other EVs offer for free. There is concern Tesla may force customers to subscribe to FSD just to get basic features. Electrek’s Take Tesla’s promises to customers and investors sharply contrast its legal and contractual language. The new vague definition allows Tesla flexibility in marketing and product naming, potentially undermining consumer expectations. FSD is now essentially an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), without guarantees of true autonomy. --- Related Articles and Guides Tesla guides and news coverage Discussions on Tesla’s Master Plan 4, affordable VW EVs, wireless EV charging, and more --- About the Author Fred Lambert – Editor in Chief and main writer at Electrek. Contact: fred@9to5mac.com | Twitter: @fredericlambert --- Summary Tesla has redefined “Full Self-Driving” to mean a supervised driving system rather than a fully autonomous one, abandoning its previous years-long promise of unsupervised autonomy. This change affects customers who bought FSD expecting full autonomy and introduces ambiguity in Tesla’s product offering and corporate milestones. The shift invites scrutiny over Tesla’s marketing ethics and raises concerns about the value and pricing of the current FSD package.