Drivers charge their Teslas on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in Fountain Valley, California.
Jeff Gritchen Media News Group | Getty Images
tesla announced Friday that it is reducing subscription prices for its premium driver assistance systems for U.S. customers.
Sold as a Fully Self-Driving (FSD) package, Tesla customers can pay now It costs $99 per month, down from $199.
The price cut contradicts previous promises from CEO Elon Musk, who has repeatedly said that the cost of FSD will only increase as Tesla adds features to its system.
“FSD prices will continue to rise as the software receives regulatory approval and moves closer to full self-driving capabilities,” Musk said. I have written On May 18, 2020, on Twitter, now known as X, he said that at that point, “FSD will probably be worth over $100,000 per unit.”
Despite its brand name, the company’s FSD option currently does not allow Tesla cars to drive autonomously or function as robotaxis.
Mr. Musk has been promising robotaxis to shareholders and customers for years, saying existing vehicles would soon become self-driving through over-the-air software updates.
He told investors on a 2019 conference call that self-driving would transform Tesla into a company with a market capitalization of $500 billion, up from about $42 billion at the time. (Even without developing self-driving cars, the company is now worth more than $500 billion.) After the call, Tesla has raised more than $2 billion through debt and equity.
In a notification currently being shown to some drivers through their in-car touchscreen displays, Tesla says:
“Full Autonomous Driving (Supervised) allows you to drive your Tesla almost anywhere, changing lanes, choosing junctions to follow a navigation route, navigating around other vehicles or objects, turning left and You have to be extra careful when using it.” “That doesn’t mean your car is self-driving. Don’t be complacent.”
The company uses sensors in the steering wheel and a cabin camera mounted above the rearview mirror to determine whether the driver is attentive and tells drivers to keep their eyes on the road or behind the wheel. You will receive a voice warning to place your hands on the
In 2022, the California Department of Transportation will formally accuse Tesla of deceptive practices in marketing its driver assistance systems, including standard package Autopilot and FSD, in the U.S., according to a state agency filing. did.
meanwhile, alphabetWaymo, owned by , currently operates commercial robotaxi services in several U.S. cities. The company also recently partnered with Uber Eats for unmanned food delivery. In China, Didi’s autonomous division has commercial operations in markets including Guangzhou.Companies such as Bill Gates-backed UK company Wayve and Amazon’s Zoox in the US is also experimenting with robotaxis.
Last month, as part of a quarter-end promotion, Musk required all sales and service staff to install and demo the FSD for customers before handing over the keys. “Very few people actually understand how well[monitored]FSDs actually work, and we know that this slows down the delivery process,” he said in an email to employees. But it’s still a difficult requirement.”
Tesla then announced that it would be offering a one-month free trial of FSD to all North American customers. Owner reaction to the latest version of His FSD has been mixed, with some fans impressed but many safety-conscious drivers viewing the free His FSD trial as inconsistent and unsafe. I turned off the switch.
Musk recently promised to “unveil” a new private robotaxi on August 8th. Tesla’s announcement is a marketing event and does not indicate a start date for production and deliveries. For example, Tesla announced a new version of the Roadster and an all-electric heavy-duty truck called the Semi in 2017, but deliveries of the Semi did not begin until December 2022. The company has not yet produced a new version of the Roadster.
Tesla did not respond to requests for further information, including whether the price cuts announced Friday were permanent or temporary.
clock: Musk seeks to highlight the potential value of robotaxis