Tesla salespeople warn full self-driving 'very far away'

The company recently removed the $5,000 pre-order option from its order page, though Elon Musk suggests the tech could be ready as early as this year.

Tesla salespeople are reportedly warning buyers that Full Self Driving capabilities may be "very far away," blaming regulations for the uncertainty.

The company recently removed the $5,000 Full Self Driving pre-order option from its configuration page, claiming the add-on will potentially confuse buyers, though it is still available as an 'off-menu' item for those who inquire.

CEO Elon Musk has voiced optimism that the Autopilot team will have the software ready for full self-driving as early as late this year, using Tesla's in-house-developed HW3 chips to achieve an order of magnitude jump in processing power.

Salespeople are reportedly being trained to convey a more cautious outlook for fully autonomous operation, according to an Electrek report.

"Before I take your order for the FSD, I would like to point out that the legal aspect of Full Self Driving is very far away," sales advisors have allegedly warned buyers. "Especially in Europe, the USA might be closer to get it legalized."

Advisors have carefully hedged the comments by blaming regulators for any delays, adding "so even when we have the hardware ready ... you would most likely not be able to use it for a very long time."

Notably, a separate report suggests one of Tesla's engineering goals is to have full self-driving ready by the Model Y start of production, slated for next year unless the project falls behind.