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“They don’t want it”: Elon Musk says no carmaker wants Tesla’s FSD

A furious Elon Musk has blasted his tech rivals after admitting none of them want anything to do with one of his leading AI developments.

No Tesla rivals want anything to do with the company’s self-driving technology, despite its revolutionary capabilities.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has claimed that major carmakers are showing little interest in licensing Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system despite his warnings that the industry won’t be able to thrive without advanced autonomy.

“I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy.” Musk posted on X.

Elon Musk says major carmakers are not interested in licensing Tesla’s FSD. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)
Elon Musk says major carmakers are not interested in licensing Tesla’s FSD. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)

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“When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless.”

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system is capable of handling most on-road tasks but still requires a human driver to supervise its movements.

In Australia, FSD (Supervised) is available for Tesla vehicles with HW4 (fourth-generation of the company’s self-driving hardware), and drivers who engage the system are liable for the car’s actions.

Australia only has access to FSD (Supervised) on version 13.2.9.
Australia only has access to FSD (Supervised) on version 13.2.9.

Elon Musk has long pitched licensing FSD to competitors as a potential money-maker for Tesla, especially as rivals pour billions into their own autonomy programs.

The speculation peaked in April 2024, when Musk explicitly stated that Tesla was “in talks with one major automaker” and that there was a “good chance” a deal would be signed that year.

That deal never happened.

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The world’s biggest carmakers have snubbed Tesla’s “revolutionary” self-driving tech in a stunning industry rejection that has left Elon Musk baffled and frustrated. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)
The world’s biggest carmakers have snubbed Tesla’s “revolutionary” self-driving tech in a stunning industry rejection that has left Elon Musk baffled and frustrated. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)

That major automaker was believed to be Ford Motors; however, Ford CEO Jim Farley’s comments stating that “Waymo is better” publicly shut down the idea of using FSD.

It is believed that liability remains a major roadblock for Tesla to find carmakers willing to license the product.

Many carmakers test self-driving features thoroughly before launching to customers, and most accept responsibility for any accidents that may occur when the tech is engaged.

For example, when Mercedes-Benz launched its Level 3 Drive Pilot system, it accepted full legal responsibility for the car whenever the system is engaged under the specified conditions.

Tesla takes a more “aggressive deployment” strategy.

Tesla HW4 can run FSD (Supervised). (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
Tesla HW4 can run FSD (Supervised). (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

The company ships experimental “supervised” software to everyday drivers and learns from their real-world use, which has prompted investigations and lawsuits worldwide.

Industry insiders say legacy carmakers like Ford are unlikely to license Tesla’s system unless Tesla agrees to indemnify them against crashes.

Earlier this month, Tesla settled a major case just days before trial involving a Model Y on Autopilot that slammed into a parked police car, an issue that has been known to impact Tesla’s system for years.

Still, Musk is charging full speed ahead.

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James MacSmith with Tesla's Full Self Driving (Supervised).
James MacSmith with Tesla's Full Self Driving (Supervised).

In Australia FSD users are expecting an update that would put the system to v14 by the end of the year. Currently, Australian customers are limited to version 13.2.9.

Over in the US, Tesla is racing to expand its robotaxi network to as many as 10 metro areas by the end of the year and has recently cleared key regulatory hurdles in Nevada and Arizona.

Meanwhile, several automakers have struck deals with other self-driving companies.

Toyota has teamed up with Waymo to bring self-driving technology to privately owned cars, while EV brand Lucid is working with Uber and Nuro to launch robotaxi services in San Francisco next year.

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2025 Tesla Model Y. Picture: Sam Rawlings
2025 Tesla Model Y. Picture: Sam Rawlings

Last month, US regulators opened a new investigation into claims that FSD-equipped Teslas were blowing through red lights and “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

Toyota have partnered with Waymo to integrate its autonomous driving technology into its consumer vehicles.

Read related topics:Elon Musk

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/motoring/on-the-road/they-dont-want-it-elon-musk-says-no-carmaker-wants-teslas-fsd/news-story/4e96ef9d6fb1b7a0f90b9f5b4052669b