Tesla moves Full Self-Driving to subscription-only model
Tesla will stop selling Full Self-Driving as a one-time purchase after February 14, moving the feature to a subscription-only model. The shift signals a stronger push toward recurring software revenue and aligns with Elon Musk's performance targets. For Indian buyers, the change may lower entry costs but raises long-term questions around value.
New Delhi: Tesla is making a quiet but important change to how it sells one of its most talked-about features. From mid-February, buyers will no longer be able to purchase Full Self-Driving as a one-time upgrade. Instead, FSD will exist only as a monthly subscription.
The announcement came straight from Elon Musk on X and landed at a time when Tesla is dealing with slower vehicle sales and growing pressure to squeeze more revenue from software. For car buyers, especially those in markets like India, this change reshapes how expensive autonomy feels over the long run.
Tesla ends one-time FSD purchases after February 14
Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla will stop selling Full Self-Driving as a permanent add-on after February 14, 2026. After that date, FSD will only be available through a monthly subscription.
Until now, Tesla buyers had two choices. They could pay a one-time fee of USD 8,000 (around ₹7.2 lakh) or subscribe monthly for USD 99 (around ₹8,910) in the United States. That upfront option is now going away.
This means FSD will no longer be tied to the life of the car. Stop paying, and the feature stops working.
Why Tesla is pushing subscriptions harder
The timing is not accidental. Tesla has been cutting FSD prices for years to drive adoption. At one point in 2022, FSD cost USD 15,000 (around ₹13.5 lakh), a price many owners struggled to justify given its real-world limits.
Now, Tesla appears to be betting on volume over upfront cash. Subscriptions create predictable, recurring revenue, something investors love, especially when vehicle sales slow.
There is also a personal angle. Musk’s long-term compensation plan is tied to aggressive targets, including 10 million active FSD subscriptions sustained over time. Other goals include producing 20 million vehicles, deploying 1 million robotaxis, rolling out 1 million humanoid robots, and hitting massive market-cap milestones. FSD subscriptions sit right at the centre of that plan.
What this means for Indian buyers
In India, the picture is more complicated. Tesla currently offers FSD on the Model Y as a software upgrade costing roughly ₹6 lakh on top of the vehicle price. The Model Y itself starts at around ₹59.89 lakh (ex-showroom).
The catch is that full FSD features are not legally enabled in India. The system still requires active driver supervision, and several promised capabilities remain unavailable.
A subscription model could lower the mental barrier. Some buyers may choose to activate FSD only during long highway trips or holidays. Others may skip it entirely.
Mixed reactions from users
Online reaction has been split. Some users see subscriptions as flexibility. Others are tired of adding yet another monthly charge to a growing list that already includes entertainment, music, fitness, food, and transport.