Tesla’s FSD Licensing Drought: Why Legacy Automakers Are Repeating Their EV Mistakes
As a veteran automotive analyst and blogger specializing in electric vehicles and autonomous driving tech, I’ve followed Tesla’s journey from a scrappy EV startup to the undisputed leader in self-driving software. Recently, Tesla VP of Finance Sendil Palani dropped a bombshell on X (formerly Twitter): despite Tesla’s “best efforts to share the technology,” licensing Full Self-Driving (FSD) “has not proven to be easy.” This candid admission, made in response to a fan questioning whether Tesla would continue manufacturing vehicles, underscores a persistent roadblock in the industry. Competitors—lagging far behind in autonomy—are turning down what could be a golden ticket to catch up. Is this hubris, fear, or something else? In this deep dive, we’ll unpack the history, the hurdles, and what it means for Tesla’s future dominance.