Tesla Autopilot/FSD is by all accounts an impressive piece of tech, and the stats about accident prevention are pretty convincing. The problem IMO is that Tesla & Musk have muddled the conversation so much over the years and made so many promises that it is impossible for the average consumer to know what is or isn't real at this point.

Do I need to have my hands on the steering wheel or is the car actually self driving? Can my Tesla drop me off where I need to be and go park itself? And then can I summon it when I'm done? Can I turn my Tesla into a taxi that picks up other people and earns me money? Is it even possible for a Tesla to drive itself unsupervised?

All of these have been promised over and over again for the past decade, and at this point it is impossible for anyone to set the right expectations for themselves.

Those questions all have very clear answers.

> Do I need to have my hands on the steering wheel or is the car actually self driving?

You don't need to have your hands on the steering wheel, but you do need to be paying attention to the road.

> Can my Tesla drop me off where I need to be and go park itself?

Not yet.

> And then can I summon it when I'm done?

Yes.

> Can I turn my Tesla into a taxi that picks up other people and earns me money?

Not yet.

> Is it even possible for a Tesla to drive itself unsupervised?

They can (e.g., https://youtu.be/BO1XXRwp3mc), but it's not enabled for consumers yet.