Author: Edeh Kelechi
The Full Self-Driving (FSD) software will soon cost $15,000, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed in a tweet on Sunday. The company initially charged users $5,000 for access to the FSD software, but in October 2020, the cost was increased to $10,000, then raised to $12,000 in January.
“Following the release of FSD version 10.69.2, the price of the FSD will jump to $15,000 in North America on September 5th,” the CEO stated in a tweet on Sunday. Additionally, he added that orders placed before September 5th but delivered after that date will still be honored at the price of $12,000.
Keep reading for more details about the new Full Self-Driving (FSD) software!
Why did the FSD software price increase?
Tesla claims the $3,000 price increase is due to the updated FSD Beta 10.69.2, which has better left-turn performance, smoother driving experience, and fewer erroneous slowdowns close to crosswalks.
Musk also mentioned that customers could use the Tesla app to convert their current vehicle to FSD in two minutes. He omitted, however, to say whether the company would raise the cost of its FSD subscription plans.
The price of adding the software currently ranges from $99 to $199 per month, depending on your Tesla’s current autopilot capabilities.
Tesla is under scrutiny from the government officials
State and federal authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board and the California Department of Motor Vehicles, are investigating Tesla for the way the company has promoted its self-driving technology. Concerns about the safety issues associated with self-driving technology are also raised.
Contrary to popular belief, the FSD software does not enable an automobile to operate entirely autonomously. Rather, drivers must keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. In contrast, the autopilot system provides navigation to and from locations specified by the user and advice on how to change lanes and do other driving maneuvers to maximize a journey.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles claimed in two reports with the California Office of Administrative Hearing that the automaker misrepresents its vehicle as being completely autonomous.
Similar to this, Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into Tesla’s promotion of the FSD software and Autopilot last year.
Why are Tesla’s FSD software and Autopilot causing concern?
According to sources, for about a year, Tesla cars using the Autopilot system were associated with more than 250 crashes. The National Traffic Safety Administration also published data in June showing that over 70% of crashes employing advanced driver-assistance technologies occurred in Tesla vehicles.
Summary
After updating to version 10.69.2, Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla would shortly be raising the cost of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. Starting on September 5th, the FSD software will cost $15,000. On the other hand, officials criticize Tesla because they feel the vehicles’ exaggerated capabilities endanger drivers and other road users. The criticism hasn’t stopped Tesla from expanding the number of drivers who can use FSD software or increasing the add-on’s cost before it is formally released.
