Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) package has just become a lot cheaper — if you're interested in a monthly subscription.
Late last week, the company reduced the price of FSD to $99 per month, down from $199 per month which was the price when Tesla launched the option in July 2021.
FSD is an optional set of features that gives Tesla cars (which have the necessary hardware) numerous autonomous driving options, including partially autonomous navigating to destination, as well as stopping at stop signs and traffic lights. Released as limited beta in Oct. 2020 and expanded to all interested Tesla owners in Nov. 2022, FSD is only available in the United States and Canada.
Despite the name, FSD does not actually turn your Tesla into a fully autonomous vehicle, regardless of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's repeated promises that this is happening soon and will tremendously increase the value of the car as it will be possible to put it to work as a robotaxi.
The pricing reduction is significant, as it now undercuts the full price of the FSD package, which is currently $12,000 (unless you plan to own the car for longer than 10 years). It also comes after Tesla's decision to take every new customer on a test ride designed to show the capabilities of FSD. Musk also recently promised that a "Tesla Robotaxi" will be unveiled in August, though the announcement was short on details.
Musk claimed on several occasions that the value (and price) of FSD will just keep going up over time. For a while, the price part was true, as FSD initially cost just $5,000, before ballooning to $15,000 in Sept. 2022. The fact that the price was lowered to $12,000 in Sept. 2023, together with this most recent reduction, indicates that Tesla is ready to onboard more customers to FSD, but also puts a big dent into the idea that FSD will just keep getting more valuable.
