Tesla launches subscription service for its advanced driver assistance software

Tesla has launched an option for select customers to subscribe to its advanced driver assistance software, that is dubbed as "Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability", for $199 (approx ₹14,847) per month as an alternative of paying $10,000 (approx ₹7.5 lakh) upfront.

While announcing the plan, the EV maker also emphasized that the current features in the do not make the vehicle autonomous and it would still require the drivers to put full attention on the road and have their hands on the wheel. at all times. The FSD subscription plans are currently available for eligible vehicles in the US. "Check your Tesla app for updates on availability in other regions," Tesla's website said.

The EV maker had earlier said subscription service will expand the customer base for its pricy features such as lane changing on highways and parking assistance. It would also generate recurring revenue for the company.

Tesla's CFO Zachary Kirkhorn had earlier said during the company's earnings call that many of the company's customers did not purchase the FSD upfront and they might first want to experiment with the features, thus a subscription offer would be a great option for them.

The subscription service for FSD is available only in Tesla vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving computer 3.0 or above and customers looking to upgrade to the new hardware will have to spend $1,500.

Tesla recently full self-driving Beta v9 software update that uses Tesla Vision, for select users. Tesla Vision is a computer vision system that depends on optical imagery and not on readings from radar sensor that was a part of Tesla's sensor suite earlier. The latest full self-driving Beta v9 software update is currently being tested on 2,000 vehicles via the early access program. Musk has touted the latest software update as "mind-blowing" and one that has the ability to improve faster through machine learning (ML).

(With inputs from agencies)