While Tesla sales (and its reputation) continue to plummet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the company’s controversial Full-Self Driving (FSD) feature will no longer be offered as a standalone package — instead, it will only be available as a monthly subscription starting on Valentine’s Day.
Although it is unclear whether the company will actually follow through (or whether the change will apply in Canada), it marks a massive shift in how it markets the service. Currently, Tesla charges $11,000 to add FSD to its vehicles in Canada, or $99/mo for a subscription. At least until Feb. 14, then the standalone purchase will no longer be an option.
Currently, Musk hasn’t offered any explanation for the move, which conveniently falls two weeks before the automaker is expected to announce its Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings. According to The Verge, Tesla’s Q4 delivery report showed a year-over-year sales drop of 15.6 per cent.
Interestingly, growing FSD’s subscription base was a key condition of Musk’s recently approved pay package, where he will need to add 10 million active subscribers to receive compensation that could be worth almost US$1 trillion.
To add some context, FSD has been in the news a lot for Tesla’s more “controversial” decisions regarding its self-driving software. Back in October, the automaker faced another investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding the system’s alleged violation of traffic laws. To add to that, Tesla even started recommending people use it while drowsy, which was not the smartest idea.
Source: The Verge
