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Good news for Tesla: Consumers are ready for the future of self-driving cars, says study
Tesla’s Autopilot features frequently make headlines when the latest advancements are released to its all-electric fleet, and media attention from its and other groups’ successes looks to have resulted in a consumer base that’s excited for autonomous cars. A survey of more than 5,500 consumers and 280 auto executives by Capgemini, a consulting group, concluded that automotive consumers are ready for the future of self-driving cars, and 59% of them are even waiting with anticipation.
Capgemini’s study set out to understand more than just whether consumers were ready for self-driving advancements. It also sought to determine the level of understanding those same consumers had for what driverless cars would mean in the bigger picture and what their expectations were for the feature as it applied to their own lives. Positive indications were given in this area as well. Over 50% of study participants said they would trust autonomous cars to make sound decisions during unexpected situations and drop off or pick up non-driving close friends or family members. Nearly 50% would trust their cars to run an errand on their behalf.
According to Capgemini’s results, there’s even more good news for companies like Tesla and Waymo who are hedging their futures on autonomy’s success. Consumers are not only excited for what’s being promised, but they’re also willing to pay a premium for the feature. 56% of study participants said they’d be willing to pay a premium of up to 20% over their current budget for a self-driving car. Tesla’s current price for its Full Self-Driving software looks to be matched to this finding. Priced as a $6,000 option paired with a $39,000 Model 3 Standard Range Plus, Tesla’s customers are already willing to pay a 15% premium in anticipation of a feature that’s not yet available.
Another part of the study pointed to the importance of the consumer experience when it comes to self-driving cars. The prime benefit of the technology isn’t simply to designate a task from a human to a computer – it needs to have perks like convenience and fun added into the mix. “[Companies]…must develop an ecosystem of services to complement consumers’ experience while in a self-driving vehicle,” the study’s summary remarked. 57% of consumers in the survey said they planned to spend their time indulging in entertainment activities in their cars once self-driving was available. This is an area where Tesla can really make its mark.
Tesla ownership already offers several fun and entertaining activities. Internet browsing, music streaming, amusing Easter Eggs, and in-car games are already part of its user experience, and those features will likely be expanded much further once drivers no longer need to keep their attention on the road. Features like “Romance Mode” could be reimagined to include scenic drives, for instance, or TeslAtari could incorporate environmental cues into game play akin to “I Spy” or something similar.
Fully autonomous vehicles still have a long road ahead of both development and regulatory approvals, but knowing there’s a consumer market ready and willing to participate in the future the technology is promising is perhaps enough to keep things moving long enough for it to succeed.
Tesla has launched a new Model Y configuration in the “Premium” trim, and it comes with three highly requested features that have launched in markets outside of the U.S. and in other trims.
Tesla announced on Monday night that it has officially launched the Model Y Premium in a seven-seat configuration, which also comes standard with a 16″ touchscreen and black headliner, both of which are featured in the Model Y Performance trim.
The seven-seat configuration is highly requested by consumers and helps fill out the more spacious SUV offering that the lineup has missed outside of the Model X, which prices out many consumers. This new upgrade only costs $2,500 extra for all three features, bringing the cash price to $48,990.
This also comes with the larger 16” touchscreen! pic.twitter.com/aiAxWUTKZa
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 13, 2026
The move to add the seven-seat configuration with the black headliner and additional screen size is a welcome addition, as many Tesla fans have asked the company to come out with an SUV with more seating capacity. Although it is not a full-size SUV, the additional seating will certainly attract some buyers with bigger families.
It appears the third row is slightly more spacious than the past iteration of the seven-seat Model Y, which was available in the previous design pre-Juniper:
Credit: Tesla
However, it definitely still appears to be pretty cramped in terms of legroom. It will definitely be a seating arrangement for smaller passengers, mostly reserved for children.
The other two upgrades are the black headliner, which was launched in other markets and in the Model Y Performance. Many owners have wanted this change, and Tesla listened, but is only offering it with the seven-seat configuration. It also has a larger 16″ touchscreen, also present in the Model Y Performance exclusively:
Credit: Tesla
It is a nice touch to add these highly requested features to the all-electric crossover, which was the best-selling vehicle in the world for the third consecutive year.
Tesla has expanded its branded ‘For Business’ Supercharger program that it launched last year, as yet another company is using the platform to attract EV owners to its business and utilize a unique advertising opportunity.
Francis Energy of Oklahoma is launching four Superchargers in Norman, where the University of Oklahoma is located. The Superchargers, which are fitted with branding for Francis Energy, will officially open tomorrow.
It will not be the final Supercharger location that Francis Energy plans to open, the company confirmed to EVWire.
Back in early September, Tesla launched the new “Supercharger for Business” program in an effort to give businesses the ability to offer EV charging at custom rates. It would give their businesses visibility and would also cater to employees or customers.
“Purchase and install Superchargers at your business,” Tesla wrote on a page on its website for the new program. “Superchargers are compatible with all electric vehicles, bringing EV drivers to your business by offering convenient, reliable charging.”
The first site opened in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, which is Northeast of Tampa, as a company called Suncoast launched the Superchargers for local EV owners.
Tesla launches its new branded Supercharger for Business with first active station
The program also does a great job at expanding infrastructure for EV owners, which is something that needs to be done to encourage more people to purchase Teslas and other electric cars.
Francis Energy operates at least 14 EV charging locations in Oklahoma, spanning from Durant to Oklahoma City and nearly everywhere in between. Filings from the company, listed by Supercharge.info, show the company’s plans to convert some of them to Tesla Superchargers, potentially utilizing the new Supercharger for Business program to advertise.
Moving forward, more companies will likely utilize Tesla’s Supercharger for Business program as it presents major advantages in a variety of ways, especially with advertising and creating a place for EV drivers to gain range in their cars.
Tesla Cybercab is perhaps the most highly-anticipated project that the company plans to roll out this year, and as it is undergoing its testing phase in pre-production currently, there are some things to work through with it.
Over the weekend, an image of the Cybercab being loaded onto a tow truck started circulating on the internet, and people began to speculate as to what the issue could be.
Hmmmmmm… https://t.co/L5hWcOXQkb pic.twitter.com/OJBDyHNTMj
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 11, 2026
The Cybercab can clearly be seen with a Police Officer and perhaps the tow truck driver by its side, being loaded onto, or even potentially unloaded from, the truck.
However, it seems unlikely it was being offloaded, as its operation would get it to this point for testing to begin with.
It appears, at first glance, that it needs assistance getting back to wherever it came from; likely Gigafactory Texas or potentially a Bay Area facility.
The Cybercab was also spotted in Buffalo, New York, last week, potentially undergoing cold-weather testing, but it doesn’t appear that’s where this incident took place.
It is important to remember that the Cybercab is currently undergoing some rigorous testing scenarios, which include range tests and routine public road operation. These things help Tesla assess any potential issue the vehicle could run into after it starts routine production and heads to customers, or for the Robotaxi platform operation.
This is not a one-off issue, either. Tesla had some instances with the Semi where it was seen broken down on the side of a highway three years ago. The all-electric Semi has gone on to be successful in its early pilot program, as companies like Frito-Lay and PepsiCo. have had very positive remarks.
The Cybercab’s future is bright, and it is important to note that no vehicle model has ever gone its full life without a breakdown. It happens, it’s a car.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that there has been no official word on what happened with this particular Cybercab unit, but it is crucial to remember that this is the pre-production testing phase, and these things are more constructive than anything.
Tesla Model Y gets fresh configuration with three highly requested features
Tesla expands its branded ‘For Business’ Superchargers
