Semafor guest: FSD experiences may be changing attitudes toward Tesla

Semafor’s San Francisco bureau chief, Reid, said he drives a Tesla Model Y and mainly wants more room for his children and gear. He was interested in the longer-wheelbase Model YL and said he planned to look into it when his lease ends. A host said he had ordered one, but delivery, expected in November, had been pushed to January because Tesla could not make them fast enough.

Another speaker suggested Tesla was reaching an inflection point as more people experienced what he described as the magic of FSD. He also speculated that Elon Musk was not giving Tesla enough attention, perhaps because he wanted to merge it with SpaceX and owns a larger share of SpaceX. That was the speaker’s interpretation, not a confirmed merger plan. The hosts also shared personal experiences: the guest activated FSD while his shoulder was injured and found it helpful to have the car drive him; he said FSD had helped him during a hockey injury for the second time.

The speakers observed that some people were buying Teslas despite political objections to Musk. One described FSD as seeming to some buyers like the safest choice for their families and others on the road. These were personal impressions and opinions, not sales data or independent evidence of safety.