You can have a Tesla FSD subscription and enjoy much more advanced features in your Tesla EV than ever before. What does this mean for you?
Tesla’s been keeping its $99/month FSD subscription pretty much secret from new buyers, burying it so deep that most people don’t even know it exists. Now they’re finally putting it front and center in their online configurator, complete with free trials. Here’s why this change matters and what it means for anyone considering Tesla’s autopilot features.
Another way for Tesla to recoup lost profits
The EV world has changed and that means Tesla has to find new ways to bring in revenue. The loss of the Federal EV Tax Credit, coupled with reduced sales in the electric vehicle world, means Tesla could be in trouble. Legacy automakers will likely survive the EV downturn, but Tesla only makes EVs, which makes a huge difference. To bring in more revenue, the new subscription program brings in Tesla’s autonomous driving features and allows subscribers to enjoy the full range of Auto Pilot features.
Putting it out there
The Tesla FSD subscription has been buried in the past, but now it’s coming out and will be front-and-center for new drivers. New Tesla customers can enjoy a free trial of the Full Self-Driving monthly subscription, which will kick in with charges after the trial ends. The Tesla online configurator changes allow customers to see this feature and take advantage of it right away, instead of making it one of the most hidden and difficult items to find on the configurator. For those ready to subscribe, Tesla FSD is $99 per month, or it can be purchased outright.
Should you buy or subscribe?
Adding the FSD package to your Tesla vehicle brings in the semi-autonomous driving suite, which turns your Tesla into a vehicle that can drive itself on most roads. In order to take advantage of this program, you can purchase the suite outright for $8,000 or subscribe to the program for $99 per month. When you want to put the Tesla subscription vs its purchase price on paper, the purchase only makes sense if you plan to keep your vehicle for at least seven years. Additionally, you can skip a month during the subscription if you choose to do so. This means you can turn off the features and save that money for a month, and then turn them back on.
Select it in the Design Studio
The Design Studio is where you build your Tesla, and putting it in this location gives you better and easier FSD accessibility to add the improvements you want to enjoy to your Tesla vehicle. You won’t have to look too far to find the Tesla FSD subscription and add the desired tech access to your vehicle. In the past, the site only showed animations of the capabilities but didn’t have a quick link to subscribe to the desired package of features. Tesla has added more videos of FSD handling some tricky driving situations and general operation of the suite, making it much easier for customers to take full advantage of what’s included in this suite.
A reasonable price for your driving pleasure
If you drive a lot every month, spending $99 for the subscription might sound pretty reasonable. The FSD suite gives you the benefits of Auto Pilot, which is a semi-autonomous driving system. Most Tesla vehicles have cameras and sensors to read the lane lines and traffic. Unlike the GM Super Cruise and Ford’s BlueCruise, which only work on mapped roads, Auto Pilot works on any road that has proper markings.
Customers adding this subscription to their vehicle need to remember that this system is not a full self-driving system, regardless of the name. You cannot take a nap behind the wheel, watch movies while driving, or take your attention away from the road. It’s important for drivers to continue to pay close attention to what’s going on while behind the wheel.
Over-the-air updates
When you begin a new Tesla FSD subscription, you’ll have a wide range of great features at your disposal. Most importantly, you can also have the benefits of over-the-air updates as Tesla continues to upgrade the FSD package with more features. Maybe, at some point in the future, it really will be a fully autonomous system that allows you to drive without your hands on the wheel or attention on the road.
Will you add a Tesla FSD subscription to your Tesla vehicle? This subscription is reasonably priced, making it easy to add more to your vehicle.
