As part of a series of changes made today to its lineup and pricing strategy, Tesla cut the purchase price of its so-called Full Self-Driving assistance feature by $3,000.
Now, customers who order a brand-new EV from the Austin-based automaker can tick the FSD capability option and pay $12,000 instead of the $15,000 that was requested for the feature before.
The pricing change comes at the same time as the launch of the revamped Tesla Model 3, also known as Project Highland, as well as the MSRP reductions for both the Model S and Model X flagships. The Elon Musk-led company also made all of the paint options free for the Model S and Model X and removed the Standard Range trim from its online configurator for both these cars.
With this being said, the subscription price for FSD has remained the same, with $99 per month for vehicles with Enhanced Autopilot enabled and $199 per month for vehicles with Basic Autopilot, which
To benefit from the $6,000 Enhanced Autopilot, one must specify it when configuring a brand-new vehicle. With it, a Tesla vehicle can automatically change lanes, automatically drive from highway on-ramp to off-ramp, automatically park in parallel and perpendicular spaces, and be summoned via the smartphone app in a parking lot, according to the company's website.
The $12,000 so-called Full Self-Driving feature adds traffic light and stop light control in the sense that the car can automatically stop at red lights and stop lights while Navigate on Autopilot is enabled.
In the past, owners have complained that tying FSD with the vehicle isn’t an ideal solution, considering that Tesla is undervaluing used cars with FSD, according to a report from Electrek. However, as a one-time offer, Elon Musk said that customers will be able to transfer ownership from an old Tesla vehicle to a new one until the end of September, for free.
With this being said, the promise of actual full self-driving still hasn’t materialized, with cars caught on camera failing to yield to pedestrians, and a quick calculation reveals that even with the lower purchase price, FSD enthusiasts might be better off getting a new car with Basic Autopilot and subscribing for the feature.
For $12,000, one could use the feature for 60 months or 5 years on the most expensive subscription option. Compared to buying the feature outright, the monthly fee can be canceled anytime if the driver feels FSD doesn’t live up to expectations.
As always, we'd like to know what you think about this, so head over to the comments section below to give us your thoughts.
