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Tesla turns Superchargers into FSD showrooms: 'Experience Full Self-Driving' demos spotted in Canada3 min

Tesla turns Superchargers into FSD showrooms: 'Experience Full Self-Driving' demos spotted in Canada

FSD ·

A sign at a Supercharger in Mississauga, Ontario, invites drivers to try FSD (Supervised). It is a shift from earlier Supercharger events that were about selling cars, and it targets the many Tesla owners who have never tried FSD.

Tesla appears to be using its Superchargers in Canada to sell Full Self-Driving, not just cars. A Tesla owner spotted a sign at his local Supercharger on North Service Road in Mississauga, Ontario, inviting visitors to "Experience Full Self-Driving (Supervised)". The event was not announced in advance.

What is known

  • Where: the North Service Road Supercharger in Mississauga, west of Toronto. It is not clear whether other sites are taking part.
  • Who spotted it: owner Nic Cruz Patane, who shared a photo of the sign on X.
  • What: FSD (Supervised) demonstrations at the charging site.
  • Unknown: the dates, how to sign up and whether it is a one-off or the start of a series.

Patane welcomed it, saying the more people experience the technology, the faster it will spread around the world.

From test drives to FSD demos

Tesla has held events at Superchargers before. In August, for example, it hosted a one-day "Summertime Demo Drive" at the Canmore Supercharger in Alberta, where visitors could book a test drive and talk to a Tesla advisor. Those events were about the cars.

The Mississauga sign is different: it puts the software in the spotlight. FSD (Supervised) is already part of all cars in Tesla's self-serve demo drive program, but a demo at a Supercharger reaches a different audience. People charging there are often Tesla owners already, many of whom have never tried FSD on their own car.

Why Tesla is pushing FSD now

FSD has become a central part of Tesla's business. In its third-quarter results this week, Tesla reported 1.74 million active FSD subscriptions, including older lifetime purchases, up 67% from a year earlier and the most new subscribers in a single quarter so far. More than 75% of new cars delivered in North America in the quarter came with FSD, according to a calculation based on Tesla's figures, up from about 55% in the second quarter.

Tesla has also removed the one-time purchase option in most markets, so FSD now mainly brings in monthly revenue. Every existing owner who starts a subscription adds income without Tesla building another car. Elon Musk summed up the idea on X: people are "buying FSD with a car attached".

Why it matters

Superchargers are an obvious place to do this. Drivers stand around for 20 to 30 minutes with nothing to do, and many of them already own a Tesla that can run FSD. A short ride can do more than any ad to convince someone to subscribe. For Canada, where FSD (Supervised) is available, it is also a chance to win over drivers who are still sceptical about the system.

It is worth remembering what FSD (Supervised) is: a driver assistance system that requires the driver to watch the road and be ready to take over at all times. A demo shows what it can do on a good day; it does not change those rules.

What to watch next

Watch whether Tesla rolls out similar FSD demos at more Superchargers in Canada and the US, and whether they come with trial offers or discounts for existing owners. In Europe, where FSD (Supervised) is only approved in a few countries ahead of a possible EU-wide vote in December, a similar campaign would be the clearest sign that Tesla expects a broader launch.

Sources (3)
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