Tesla’s self-driving feature switching to subscription only

Tesla’s so-called Full Self-Driving feature is about to become a little less “full” — and a lot more recurring.

Starting Feb. 14, Tesla will no longer sell Full Self-Driving (FSD) as a one-time purchase. Instead, drivers will be required to sign up for a monthly subscription if they want access. Until now, customers could either pay $8,000 upfront or fork over $99 a month.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the change on his social media platform without offering any explanation, which has become something of a company tradition.

Despite the name, Full Self-Driving does not actually mean the car drives itself. According to Tesla’s own description, the system is merely an “advanced driver assistance” tool that helps with steering, braking, and accelerating — while the human driver remains fully responsible for everything that goes wrong.

The timing of the move is noteworthy. Tesla reportedly needs to hit 10 million active FSD subscriptions for Musk to unlock additional stock awards under the executive pay package shareholders approved last fall. Switching to subscription-only pricing could make that goal easier — assuming customers keep paying.

Tesla says the feature is available for eligible vehicles in several countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. “Eligible,” of course, remains a flexible term.

Meanwhile, self-driving systems across the industry are under increasing scrutiny. Tesla’s software — along with similar systems from competitors — has been linked to traffic violations and crashes, raising uncomfortable questions about whether these technologies are being oversold.

In November, federal safety regulators opened an investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software after incidents in which vehicles allegedly behaved in ways that violated traffic laws. According to regulators, the system sometimes commanded actions that didn’t exactly scream “safe and legal.”

So now, if you want Tesla’s not-quite-self-driving system, you won’t be buying it — you’ll be renting it, indefinitely.

Whether that’s innovation, strategy, or just another way to turn drivers into subscribers depends on how much faith you still have in the word “Full.”

ORIGINAL SOURCE