Tesla will shift its Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in new cars to a subscription-based model from February 14, 2026, company CEO Elon Musk has confirmed on X.
As spotted by Bloomberg, anyone buying a new Tesla from February 14 onwards will need to pay $99 per month if they want to access FSD. Currently Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is an $8,000 add-on, and the Tesla website says “your car will be able to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal driver intervention.”
For some Tesla drivers, the $99 per month subscription might work out better value when compared to the $8k upfront cost. You’d have to be driving your FSD vehicle for six and a half years before you rack up $8,000 in subscription costs.
Tesla’s official FSD page explains you’ll need an eligible vehicle to be able to use the hands-free driving mode. Your Tesla will need to have the “Full Self-Driving computer 3.0 or above, plus Basic Autopilot or Enhanced Autopilot” to subscribe to FSD (Supervised).
It also notes; “You can check your Autopilot configuration from your vehicle’s touchscreen by selecting Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Information. You can also check your configuration in the Tesla app by selecting Vehicle > Specs & Warranty.”
FSD becomes more accessible
Mush has not provided a reason for the switch to a subscription-only model for Tesla’s most advanced self-driving package, but it does bring the barrier to entry down.
As you now won’t need to part with $8,000 up front, you can almost pay-as-go with the subscription and if you don’t get on with it after a few months, you can cancel the feature, while your Model 3, Model Y or all-wheel drive Cybertruck will continue to function as usual.
If you buy a Model S, Model X or the Cyberbeast variant of the Cybertruck, FSD comes included in the price of the vehicle.
FSD subscriptions are available to owners of eligible vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia and New Zealand.
And if you do opt for the FSD subscription, you’ll want to check out Tesla’s Mad Max driving mode.