As announced by Tesla CEO Elon Musk , the company plans to release its Full Self-Driving software package as a monthly subscription service in early 2021.
Of course, its price is expected to be particularly high.
Earlier this year, there were indications that Tesla was working on a pay-as-you-go for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) package.
Later, Elon Musk himself confirmed that Tesla planned to release such an option "towards the end of the year.".
In recent months, it looked like Tesla was going to stick to that timeline, as it prepared to launch a Full Self-Driving subscription with updates to the backend of in-app upgrades to include a subscription model.
However, the CEO has now confirmed that the subscription model has been postponed to “early 2021.”
Along with confirming the monthly subscription offer for access to features, Musk made it clear that purchasing the FSD package will remain the best option from a financial standpoint.
“I have to say, buying the FSD option will make sense as an option, as in our view, buying the FSD is an investment in the future. And we are confident that it is an investment that will pay off for the consumer – for the benefit of the consumer. In my opinion, buying the FSD option is something that people will not regret.”
However, a monthly subscription may be more cost-effective for people who lease vehicles and those who don't want to commit to paying the full price of Full Self-Driving, which recently increased to $10,000.
The new way to get Tesla's Full Self-Driving package comes as the automaker is testing an early version of its supervised self-driving system in beta with a limited group of customers in the US.
Tesla is attempting a wider rollout in the US by the end of 2020.
Beyond the new monthly subscription model, Musk said he would also consider allowing Tesla buyers to transfer ownership of the Full Self-Driving package to another car if they were to upgrade, but he hasn't made a final decision on that feature, which many Tesla owners are requesting.
Recently, Tesla has been making more moves into software-as-a-service.
