Tesla slashes the cost of its self-driving technology, which does require the driver's hands to be on the wheel at all times. – Shutterstock
Tesla has slashed the price of its self-driving technology to just $99 per month, down from $199, but the tech still requires a fully attentive driver behind the wheel.
Tesla’s autopilot and full self-driving (FSD) capability features come standard on every new Tesla. For those purchased before 2019, these features can be retrofitted.
While Tesla claims these features are designed to become more capable over time, they currently do not make the vehicle autonomous. FSD technology allows drivers to benefit from more active guidance and assisted driving, but there has to be an attentive driver who has both hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment.
While these features come as standard, they are not free. The electric vehicle giant has announced that the cost of its full self-driving package will drop from $199 to $99 per month in the US. As well as a monthly subscription, Tesla owners could also opt for a one-off fee of $12,000.
Once subscribed, owners would be able to initiate the technology through a simple software upgrade via the infotainment system.
This slash in cost is confounding to some as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made previous claims that the technology would be valued at more than 1,000 times the current value in the near future. Industry experts suspect that the cut in price has been done to boost uptake.
FSD, a more advanced version of Tesla’s Autopilot highly automated cruise control, has the ability to recognise traffic lights, stops signs and other road furniture, and adjust its course and speed without driver input.
However, according to TechRadar, the system is far from perfect. There are a number of ongoing investigations and legal cases that are looking into crashes that occurred when the FSD system was activated. For this reason, Tesla has reworded a lot of the material surrounding the technology, adding “supervised” to the FSD moniker. This means that the person behind the wheel needs to be fully alert when using the technology, as Tesla is keen to point out that all responsibility rests with the driver.
Musk has made it clear that he believes the future will see high levels of autonomous driving, but trust needs to be rebuilt as safety is a key concern following previous crashes not only with Tesla but other self-driving vehicles.
Indeed, Robotaxi firm Cruise recently announced it will resume testing its self-driving taxi fleet, but with a human driver in control and no autonomous driving mechanisms engaged. This follows a series of collisions in San Francisco, California, at the end of last year.
