Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software add-on has come a long way since 2016 when it was first available as an option in addition to the basic Autopilot features.
Unfortunately, the price of FSD has also come a long way—originally priced at $3,000, the cost has risen over the past six years to a whopping $12,000 now (at the time of writing).
As an alternative to the $8,000 paid-in-full price (this was just reduced on 4/20/24), Tesla also offers the option for customers to purchase FSD at now $99/month, which is a BIG drop (50%) from the previous cost of $199/month. This means a big hit to the paid in full price. Let’s dive deeper.
To further add to the complexity of the Autopilot universe, Tesla also occasionally offers Enhanced Autopilot (previously $6,000 but now removed after the 4/20/24 FSD price drop) as an alternative to FSD which has all of the features of FSD, except for traffic light and stop sign control, for 50% of the cost—making this a popular alternative.
So, how does all of this affect the price of Full Self-Driving on a used Tesla? How much are buyers willing to pay, on average, for FSD (and EAP)?
We get asked these questions a lot—so, in this blog post, we’re going to jump in and provide some answers. Curious to know? Alright, let’s get started!
Does Full-Self Driving Add Value to a Used Tesla?
The quick and simple answer to this question is yes—Full Self-Driving does add value to a used Tesla. A used Tesla with FSD is definitely worth more than a used Tesla without it (although even less now that it’s $99/month) but it’s NOT worth what many sellers think it is on the used market, and there are a variety of reasons for this which we’ll get into later in this post.
If you’ve just recently purchased a Tesla and shelled out $8,000 for the paid-in-full FSD option (or $12,000 earlier in 2024)—we’ve got bad news for you…you’re not going to get that full amount back on a used Tesla, even if you turn right around and sell it.
In fact, as counterintuitive as it seems—this may actually make your Tesla less desirable than other Teslas that don’t have FSD…
Why is that? Well, the main reason is that sellers of Teslas who’ve paid for FSD in full generally expect to recoup the full $8,000 (previously $12,000), and this higher price makes their Tesla unattractive when compared to other Teslas which are cheaper and still have Base Autopilot features at no additional cost.
The truth is that in the used Tesla world, there just aren’t as many buyers who are willing to shell out $8,000 for software that is arguably incomplete at this point—especially when it can be purchased for $99/month on-demand.
Used Tesla buyers are going to see that big price hike and just look at cheaper Teslas without it, unless the seller of a Tesla with FSD has priced it appropriately for the used market (more on this later too).
In the past, buyers were willing to pay a bit more for used Teslas with FSD because paying in full was the only way to get it, but now that it’s available as a monthly payment option (and most recently for $99/month, for however long that lasts), people are simply less willing to fork out all that cash on a used Tesla.
Even Tesla themselves has seen a lower adoption rate of FSD on new vehicles as the price has increased. The “take rate” of FSD a few years ago was about 50% on new Teslas, and has since dropped to only 14%. This is a really meaningful statistic, especially when looking at the used market—it definitely informs just how willing buyers are on the secondary market to pay for that same feature.
Even with the cost at $8,000 now, this is almost 7 years at $99 per month. And since FSD doesn’t stay with the owner (it transfers with the car), there’s always going to be some portion of it that’s effectively lost when you sell your Tesla—even if you turn around and sell it right away.
So, How Much Is FSD Actually Worth on a Used Tesla?
Well, the answer to this is—it depends. It depends on when you bought FSD, what the original price was, and what the current price of FSD is—in addition to market factors in general, and a few other intangibles.
Generally speaking, FSD on a used Tesla is currently worth anywhere from 15% – 50% of your original purchase price. Let’s take a look at some specific examples to give you an idea:
Example 1:
2017 Model S P100D, 65k miles, FSD. The original purchase price of FSD was a $3,000 add-on to the Autopilot suite (which is now standard).
In this case, FSD would be worth about 50% of what you originally paid for it, and about 19% of the current $8,000 purchase price.
It is also NOT true in the used market that your old $3,000 FSD purchase is suddenly worth $8,000, despite what many sellers think.
In this situation, FSD actually represents a decent value for the buyer over the cost of buying it new—and some of these early Model S vehicles don’t include Base Autopilot, so buyers can’t count on every 2017 Model S having Autopilot (like they can with newer Teslas), which makes this hypothetical vehicle stand out even more.
Example 2:
2022 Model S Long Range, 500 miles, FSD. The original purchase price of FSD was $12,000 and Base Autopilot was included.
In this case, FSD would be worth about $1,200 – $1500, or 10% – 12% of the original purchase price.
Why not more? Simply because the market dictates the value of anything, and as mentioned earlier in this post—not that many people have $12,000 sitting around to shell out for software that the general consensus is it isn’t much more feature-rich than Base Autopilot, or certainly not more than EAP—and additionally, if someone wants it, they can just simply buy it for $99/month, without such a massive cash outlay.
Again—it’s important to note that Tesla currently has a 14% take rate for FSD on new vehicles, and this is not something to overlook; this statistic definitely informs the used market too and just how willing buyers are to spend that kind of money up front.
Putting it all together, FSD is worth about $1,000 – $1,500 in the used market, with an average of about a $1,500 value.
Prior to 4/12/24 when the monthly subscription price of FSD was $199/mo, the paid in full value was higher, but that’s dropped now too. And again, on 4/20/2024, Tesla dropped the price again to $8,000 for the paid in full option.
Where Does Our Data About Used Teslas and FSD Come From?
As the #1 used Tesla site on the Internet with the #1 EV Instant Cash Offer program, we see thousands of data points every month related to the difference between asking prices, sold prices, and purchase prices—both in the private market and wholesale market.
We aggregate and analyze this data in a variety of ways, to help sellers understand how to get the most for their used Tesla, and to help buyers to understand how to get the best value on a used Tesla.
What About EAP? Does That Add Value to a Used Tesla?
EAP definitely adds value to a used Tesla. How much? At the of $6,000, prior to 4/20/24, EAP was worth approximately $500 – $1200. This number still holds, depending upon what Tesla does with the FSD price now.
How Much Should I Ask for my Tesla with FSD?
This is a great question, and one that we get a lot—hence the reason for a dedicated blog post about it.
One thing we’ve built into Find My Electric is the ability to do pricing research. You can visit our used EV listings page and check the box that says “Include Sold Listings” to see the asking prices of sold Teslas, which will give you an idea of what to ask for a Tesla similar to yours.
Additionally, if you purchase a Featured Listing for $49, that includes our Expert Pricing Help—and our team will get you dialed in on the perfect asking price for your used Tesla!
Does FSD Transfer When I Sell My Tesla?
Generally speaking, yes—it does, although this is not written in stone for secondary buyers—and another reason that the price of FSD on a used Tesla is slightly devalued.
If you’re looking for more information on that topic, check out our more detailed post about it here:
Does FSD Transfer on a Used Tesla?
Will FSD Eventually Appreciate on Used Vehicles?
If Tesla can eventually solve the problem of computer vision, it’s possible that Tesla FSD might even be an appreciating asset as Elon has described in the past.
However, currently this isn’t the case—and on the used market—FSD depreciates substantially over the cost of paying for it in full on a new Tesla.
But—if Tesla does roll out true Full Self-Driving, we may be looking at a situation where its true value is worth tens of thousands of dollars, and may even “appreciate” for people who had previously purchased it at a lower price point.
Ready to Sell Your Tesla With FSD?
Find My Electric is the #1 used Tesla site on the web—there’s no better place to list your Tesla for sale and get more exposure or sell it faster!
And as mentioned above, our Featured Listing package ($49) comes with the full force of our customer support team behind it—we love helping customers and will help you dial in the absolute perfect selling price for your used Tesla with FSD!
It only takes a few minutes to go live and get your Tesla in front of thousands of buyers. Get started today!