Elon Musk has removed Tesla’s Autopilot as a standard self-driving feature in the United States, only for the new Model Y and Model 3, in an effort to promote its more advanced Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscriptions.
Confirming the removal of Autopilot in the United States on some models, Tesla’s website said that new entry-level model orders will now only include Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, which allows the vehicle to adjust its speed while following other cars in the path.
Previously, Autopilot had both traffic-aware cruise control and automatic guidance, and allowed the car to stay in its lane and change lanes with turn signals.
It has not been clarified whether this change has anything to do with the suspension of Tesla’s dealership license in California after a ruling found the company engaged in deceptive marketing regarding Autopilot and FSD claims.
The decision remained in effect for 60 days, giving Tesla room to adjust its marketing practices.
This development follows Tesla CEO Elon Musk replacing the $8,000 one-time fee for FSD with a monthly subscription model priced at $99.
He explained that FSD would become more expensive as FSD capabilities improve, saying: “The huge increase in value happens when you can stay on the phone or sleep the entire journey. »
The growing interest in FSD is in line with Musk’s ambitions for an autonomous future for Tesla, even if it lags behind Alphabet’s Waymo in robo-taxi deployment and efficiency.
