Away from the debate over how Tesla insists on naming its Level 2 driver assist system, there are still a sizeable number of Tesla drivers who have never sampled what Full Self Driving can do. And, at a pricey $15,000 outlay, or a subscription of up to $199 per month for cars with Basic Autopilot ($99 for vehicles with Enhanced Autopilot), it’s not hard to see why.
But in a bid to get more users to sample the tech, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed via a tweet that all cars in North America will be able to avail of a one-month FSD free trial.
Musk was responding to a tweet from a user who inquired when the subscription option for FSD would be released in Canada. The billionaire entrepreneur confirmed that free trials would be on the way, with FSD subscription offers presumably following shortly thereafter.
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However, no timeframe was indicated, and one element that the trials and eventual roll-out of FSD subs are contingent on. Musk wants FSD to be “super smooth (not just safe)” before it sees wider adoption. While that statement could raise the question as to why a publicly available (albeit behind a “paywall”) autonomous driving program is evidently still not considered smooth enough for mass adoption, it also indicates that Tesla is aware of some of the bugs and is working towards ironing out the kinks.
Musk added that FSD trials would eventually be offered worldwide once engineers ensure that it works well on local roads, and that such systems pass regulatory approval.
Part of Tesla’s package is its software capabilities. The company raised prices of FSD from $12,000 to $15,000 in the fall of last year, with warnings that more increases are on the cards. Being able to monetize additional features with subscription models is something many automakers are betting on, but it could be Tesla that delivers.