For years, the adoption rate, or take rate, of Tesla’s FSD package has been a closely guarded secret and a subject of speculation amongst investors and followers of Tesla. Now, for the first time, Tesla’s own executives have shared specific numbers, revealing that FSD is seeing strong and rapidly growing adoption, particularly among buyers of its premium vehicles.
The data, shared by VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy during an interview on Jay Leno’s Garage, confirms that a majority of Model S and Model X customers are now purchasing Tesla’s FSD package. This is likely one of the reasons Tesla added the Luxe Package to the Model S and Model X, which includes FSD.
This is the first concrete data point on FSD adoption provided by Tesla in the continually improving software.
FSD Take Rate
The most impressive statistic revealed is the take rate for FSD in Tesla’s flagship vehicles, namely the Model S and Model X. According to Lars, there is an incredible 50-60% take rate for newer Model S and Model X buyers, who are opting to purchase FSD outright, instead of subscribing. These numbers are from before the Luxe package, which now mandatorily includes FSD in all Model S and Model X vehicles sold in the United States.
This is a vote of confidence in FSD from Tesla’s most affluent customer segment, who are clearly seeing the value in FSD’s current and future capabilities. While all Teslas are fun cars to drive, it is still an amazing function to be able to relax and watch your car complete your commute or road trip for you, while you handle all the fun parts of driving when and if you want.
This high adoption rate among premium buyers is a good indicator that FSD has value. While there’s no doubt the lower price of FSD has helped, that change was made almost 18 months ago when Tesla lowered the price of FSD from $12,000 to $8,000.
Fleet Wide Take Rate
While the Model S and X numbers are impressive, the growth in Tesla’s high-volume vehicles is arguably even more important for the program’s future. Lars stated that the FSD take rate for the broader fleet, which includes the Model 3 and Model Y, has climbed from single-digit percentages in the past to the teens now. While Lars didn’t disclose the exact numbers, it sounds like the take rate for FSD has likely doubled for the overall fleet.
While a percentage in the teens may seem modest compared to the S and X, it represents a massive increase in the total number of active FSD users on the road, given the massive sales volumes of the Model 3 and Model Y.
This growth is crucial for Tesla’s data flywheel; the more cars actively using FSD, the more valuable data can be collected to train and improve the neural networks, which in turn make the software better and more appealing. There’s no doubt that it’s the massive improvements we’ve seen with FSD V13 that have contributed to FSD’s higher take rate. With Musk touting FSD V14 as the second biggest FSD update ever, this is likely to improve even further.
FSD Take Rate | |
|---|---|
Model S & Model X | 50 - 60% |
Model 3 & Model Y | 12 - 18% * |
Entire Fleet | 13 - 19% |
* The FSD take rate for the Model 3 and Model Y is estimated based on numbers provided by Tesla and delivery numbers for this year.
Why the Increase?
Several key factors are likely driving this increase in FSD adoption across the entire lineup. The most obvious is the tangible and rapid improvement of the software itself. The leap from FSD V11 to the end-to-end neural network-based V12 and beyond has delivered a much smoother, more confident, and human-like driving experience, which is clearly resonating with buyers and subscribers.
Another major factor is the recent introduction of FSD transferability. The ability for owners to transfer their FSD purchase to a new Tesla has removed a huge point of friction, as buyers no longer have to worry about losing their significant investment when they decide to upgrade their vehicle.
Finally, the increasing public visibility of the Robotaxi network and the promise of future Unsupervised capabilities arriving in late 2025 are likely convincing more buyers that FSD is not just a run-of-the-mill driver assistance feature, but a worthwhile investment into their vehicle’s capabilities.
