I think it's related to who Musk is, and the kinds of things he wants to achieve.
SpaceX isn't trying to just do what has always been done and just make it 5 or 10% cheaper. That's boring. SpaceX is completely turning the launch industry on it's head.
Tesla is the same. Elon isn't interested in making "just" an electric car. He wants to change the world, and electric cars that drive themselves will do that.
Can he do it soon? I'm not an expert, I don't know. But damn it's exciting to watch.
The purpose of Tesla is to save the world from global warming, though. I'm not sure self-driving is that relevant compared to the electric propulsion part.
SpaceX isn't trying to just do what has always been done and just make it 5 or 10% cheaper. That's boring. SpaceX is completely turning the launch industry on it's head.
Tesla is the same. Elon isn't interested in making "just" an electric car. He wants to change the world, and electric cars that drive themselves will do that.
Can he do it soon? I'm not an expert, I don't know. But damn it's exciting to watch.