Elon Musk has removed Tesla’s Autopilot as a standard self-driving feature in the US, 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 US in select models, Tesla’s website stated that new orders for entry-level models will now only include Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, which allows the vehicle to adjust its speed while following other cars on the road.
Previously, Autopilot had both Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and auto-steer, allowing 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 Tesla having its dealer license suspended in California after a ruling found the company engaged in misleading marketing regarding Autopilot and FSD claims.
The ruling was stayed for 60 days, giving Tesla some margin to adjust its marketing practices.
The development comes on the heels of Tesla CEO Elon Musk replacing the one-time $8,000 fee for FSD with a monthly subscription model priced at $99.
He explained that FSD would become more expensive as FSD capabilities improve, stating, “The massive jump in value is when you can be on your phone or sleep the entire ride.”
The increasing focus on FSD is in line with Musk’s ambitions for an autonomous future for Tesla, although it lags behind Alphabet’s Waymo in terms of rollout and efficiency of robot axes.
