FSD
Explanation
The Joke
A car salesman is pitching a vehicle: "For only a few thousand dollars extra, this car comes with full self-driving capability." A customer asks if it really has that, and the salesman replies "No, I can't say that, it would be dangerous." The customer presses: "But doesn't it drive itself?" The salesman hedges: "You're, uh, self-driving. You get in the car, you drive. That's self-driving. Real talk, this thing probably won't kill you." He finishes with "Self-driving, no kidding, version 4.0!" and the customer asks "Where can I buy one?" while another character looks on skeptically.
The Humor
The comic is a direct satire of Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) product and Elon Musk's repeated claims about its capabilities. Tesla has sold a feature called "Full Self-Driving" for thousands of dollars extra, while simultaneously including disclaimers that the driver must remain attentive and keep hands on the wheel at all times. The fundamental contradiction — marketing something as "full self-driving" while legally acknowledging it cannot actually drive itself — is exactly what the comic lampoons.
The salesman's tortured attempt to describe the product ("You're self-driving. You get in the car, you drive") perfectly captures the linguistic gymnastics required to sell autonomous driving capability that isn't actually autonomous. The version number "4.0" satirizes how Tesla has repeatedly released new versions of FSD with promises of improvement while the fundamental limitations remain.
Broader Context
This comic was published in April 2021, when Tesla's FSD beta was being rolled out to more users and generating significant controversy about safety and misleading marketing. SMBC often targets tech industry hype, and the gap between marketing promises and actual product capabilities is a recurring theme. The comic speaks to broader concerns about consumer protection when companies use aspirational product names that overstate current functionality.