Then why does Tesla, on their order page offer this?
>> Full Self-Driving Capability
>> This doubles the number of active cameras from four to eight, enabling full self-driving in almost all circumstances, at what we believe will be a probability of safety at least twice as good as the average human driver.
They also seemingly purposely make it very vague as to what is actually available when you pay for it today (nothing), what might be available during your lifetime (it will try to kill you) and when it might be actually ready (never)...
/s
Because simply offering the option for sale helps portray Tesla as forward-thinking? The option itself is basically a marketing mechanism at this time.
The FSD option doesn't actually do anything right now or even add any extra hardware.
According to their Q4'17 update letter,[0] "In October 2016, we began equipping all Tesla vehicles with hardware needed for full self-driving capability, including cameras that provide 360 degree visibility, updated ultrasonic sensors for object detection, a forward-facing radar with enhanced processing, and a powerful new onboard computer." All new Teslas manufactured since then include the same Hardware II (or the incremental "II.5" version), which includes the eight cameras referenced under the "Full Self-Driving Capability" option in their configurator. Enhanced AutoPilot activates certain software functionality (what people generally understand to be "AutoPilot"), while the "Full Self-Driving Capability" package doesn't actually do anything right now. You're just purchasing the right to unlock a future FSD update for a $1,000 discount today that may or may not come out before you sell the car.
Basically, Tesla is betting that they'll be able to develop and deploy FSD in a reasonable (for consumers; from a developer and regulatory standpoint, it's incredibly aggressive) timeframe using the hardware already present on its cars. In the interim, FSD orders just sit on Tesla's books as deferred revenue because "FSD" hasn't actually been delivered yet.
As an aside, it's actually kind of impressive that ~40% of buyers[1] have opted for the FSD option despite the fact that it doesn't exist yet. Offering the option today involves some pretty significant risk if there are significant delays or Tesla runs into unexpected development hurdles it can't easily get around. It could easily turn into a class action nightmare.
Well, that certainly does say quite a bit about the mentality of Tesla buyers, who are willing to pay a few extra grand for something that not only does not exist, but may not even ever exist. And hell, they aren't even paying for any extra hardware.
But it sure does make Tesla look progressive alright. And upon a cursory, or even second reading, the option does certainly read like you're getting something. That's probably where those 40% come from. Basically, this is a behavior I would expect from some shady operation on Kickstarter, not from a major corporation...
They also seemingly purposely make it very vague as to what is actually available when you pay for it today (nothing), what might be available during your lifetime (it will try to kill you) and when it might be actually ready (never)... /s