staff@slashgear.com (Nadeem Sarwar)
2024-04-22 16:25:32
www.slashgear.com
Tesla is just a day away from its latest quarterly call, which comes hot on the heels of Musk confirming release plans (once again) for Tesla’s highly anticipated robotaxi platform and the rumored cancellation of its $25,000 Model 2 mass-market electric car. Then we have the recent Cybertruck recall affecting every single electric truck that Tesla has shipped so far, which isn’t too many at just over 3,800 units.
However, the latest FSD price cut is seen as a sign of desperation. The opening quarter of 2024 marked the first time Tesla deliveries experienced a year-on-year drop since 2020. Towards the end of March this year, Tesla introduced a new rule that required all new car sales to offer a demo of the FSD system. The carmaker has often made it clear that Tesla is as much a hardware brand as it is a software company and that its success ultimately hinges on innovative products like FSD and Autopilot.
“Going forward, it is mandatory in North America to install and activate FSD V12.3.1 and take customers on a short test ride before handing over the car,” Tesla CEO Musk wrote in an email reported by CNBC. Musk reportedly argued that even though it would slow the delivery chain, it would serve as an opportunity for customers to test the refined state of Tesla’s driver assistance system.