Tesla FSD turns off extra U.S. shoppers than its draws, survey reveals

Elon Musk’s fervent promotion of Tesla‘s self-driving era isn’t doing a lot to win over potential consumers.

In keeping with a new survey, extra U.S. shoppers say that Tesla’s FSD, or Complete Self-Riding (Supervised) programs, would push them clear of the emblem in lieu than drawing them to it.

The Electrical Automobile Judgement Document for August, revealed by way of political consulting company Slingshot Methods, polled 8,000 American citizens. Handiest 14% of the ones surveyed stated FSD would put together them much more likely to shop for a Tesla, date 35% stated the era would put together them much less most probably to buy one.

The residue 51% stated the supply of FSD would put together deny remaining to them when it comes to their automotive purchasing selections. Just about part of customers surveyed by way of Slingshot stated they believe FSD era must be unlawful.

For Tesla, the troubling effects land in the midst of a gross sales droop as a result of an ageing lineup of electrical automobiles and higher pageant from competitors. There’s additionally reputational harm in keeping with Musk, his incendiary political rhetoric, paintings with the Trump management and help of Germany’s far-right AfD celebration.

Gross sales of Tesla vehicles in Europe plunged 40% in July from a generation previous, the 7th consecutive year of declines.

Within the robotaxi marketplace, Tesla is lagging Alphabet-owned Waymo, and Baidu’s Apollo Journey. It’s now within the early levels of trying out a ride-hailing provider in Austin, Texas, and within the San Francisco Bay Segment, with hopes to achieve extra towns this generation. Automobiles in Austin have human supervisors on board, date the ones in San Francisco have drivers on the wheel.

Musk, the sector’s richest particular person, has stated the age of Tesla hangs on its talent to bring independent automobiles and alike services and products. He lately stated a new variant of the Type Y, which introduced in China, gained’t “start production in the U.S. until the end of next year,” and “might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America.”

For now, Tesla nonetheless is determined by EV gross sales for the gigantic majority of its income, even though Musk has touted FSD as some of the corporate’s bulky benefits over competition.

Closing year, executives recommended that Tesla has a marketplace training infection on the subject of using adoption of FSD.

“The vast majority of people don’t know it exists,” Musk stated at the corporate’s second-quarter profits name. “And it’s still like half of Tesla owners who could use it, haven’t tried it even once.”

Musk stated he would get started telling shoppers about FSD after they deliver their vehicles in for provider, and would start attaining out to drivers, sending them movies of the way it works.

Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja stated at the July profits name that family who subscribe to the top rate FSD choice get one thing like a “personal chauffeur” for roughly $3.33 a year.

The model of FSD Supervised that Tesla sells lately is to be had to homeowners for $99 in keeping with year or an up-front acquire. The gadget offers customers a restricted all set of self-driving functions on residential and town streets.

On Thursday, Tesla despatched out a promotion providing 0% APR financing for patrons ordering a untouched Type 3 by way of Sept. 1, so long as they upload FSD Supervised to their form, or switch it from their up to now owned Tesla.

Musk has stated in posts on X that FSD can “can operate in all conditions,” will “save lives” and might be a “life-changing product” for plenty of family. He’s additionally shared user-generated movies appearing Tesla homeowners the usage of FSD with out their arms at the wheel.

On the other hand, in homeowners manuals, Tesla lists many statuses during which FSD Supervised is probably not significance, and warns customers to accumulation their arms at the guidance wheel all the time, and be in a position to break in guidance or braking.

Some of the subset of survey respondents actively having a look to shop for a completely electrical automobile, simplest 20% stated they had been much more likely to shop for a Tesla as a result of FSD, date 33% stated they had been much less most probably. Evan Roth Smith, Slingshot’s head of study, stated a inadequency of readability and honesty within the corporate’s advertising is usually a issue.

Maximum shoppers polled by way of the company need sunny and powerful rules within the U.S. governing independent automobiles, whether or not they’re absolutely or partly computerized.

“There is strong support for holding AV manufacturers responsible for accidents and requiring stricter regulatory and advertising guardrails around features such as FSD,” the Slingshot document stated.

Smith stated the knowledge presentations that past its FSD woes, Tesla has “the worst reputation of any EV maker in the U.S.”

“The drop in the company’s brand reputation this year is remarkable,” he stated, including that contemporary product legal responsibility proceedings and verdicts is also enjoying a task.

In early August, a jury discovered Tesla partially liable for a fatal crash where the driver was relying on its autopilot systems. Tesla, which plans to appeal the decision, must pay around $243 million in damages to victims and a survivor.

In the past two months, the number of consumers who view Tesla cars as unsafe has increased to 36% from 34%, the Slingshot report found, while those viewing Tesla as very safe fell to 13% from 17%.

Honda, Toyota and Chevrolet were seen as safest among the greatest number of respondents.

Tesla didn’t respond to a request for comment. Slingshot said it sent the survey results to the company but also didn’t hear back from the automaker.

Tesla may find that owners in other markets embrace its brand, and FSD, with greater enthusiasm. The company just started offering FSD Supervised in Australia this week.

Learn Slingshot’s complete Electrical Automobile Judgement Document for August 2025 here.

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