Tesla Sounds the Alarm—Again
Tesla is once again telling customers that the Full Self-Driving transfer window is closing. According to the company, owners have until March 31, 2026 to move their FSD package to a new vehicle at no cost. After that, the option disappears.
At least, that’s the message this quarter.
A Deadline with a Familiar Ring
Tesla introduced FSD transfers in Q3 2023, calling it a one-time amnesty. Since then, the offer has returned repeatedly. Each revival arrived with the same warning: act now or lose it forever.
As a result, many owners now see the transfer window less as a hard rule and more as a quarterly sales lever. When delivery pressure rises, the “last chance” tends to resurface.
Subscription-Only Changes Everything
This time, however, the context has shifted. Tesla recently confirmed it will end the one-time purchase option for FSD. Going forward, the software becomes subscription-only, priced at $99 per month.
Earlier this year, Elon Musk also stated that the transfer option would end on February 14, adding to the urgency—even though Tesla later extended the window to the end of March.
That combination raises the stakes. For owners who paid up to $15,000 outright, this may be the last opportunity to carry a perpetual license onto a new Tesla.
Ownership Without Delivery
Here’s the core issue. Tesla still hasn’t delivered unsupervised autonomy. FSD continues to require active driver supervision. Yet customers who bought early remain locked into licenses tied to aging vehicles and older hardware.
When those owners want to upgrade, Tesla controls whether their software investment moves with them. The current policy encourages fast decisions, not long-term confidence.
Why Skepticism Remains
Given Tesla’s track record, many expect the FSD transfer option to return again. The company has reopened it too many times for the word “final” to carry much weight.
Until Tesla delivers true autonomy, every FSD deadline feels less like a cutoff and more like a pressure tactic. For now, the smartest move may be to treat urgency with caution—and history with attention.
