Tesla has made a strategic move to discontinue its basic driver-assistance system, Autopilot, in a bid to encourage wider adoption of its more advanced Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology. This decision comes amidst a 30-day suspension of Tesla’s manufacturing and dealer licenses in California due to allegations of deceptive marketing practices related to Autopilot’s capabilities.
Autopilot, a combination of Traffic Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer, has been a prominent feature in Tesla vehicles. However, the company is now pushing customers towards Full Self-Driving, which offers enhanced autonomous driving functionalities.
As part of this shift, Tesla will no longer offer Autopilot in new vehicles, with Traffic Aware Cruise Control being the standard driver-assistance feature. The status of existing Tesla owners’ Autopilot remains unclear.
In addition, Tesla is revamping its pricing strategy for Full Self-Driving, transitioning from a one-time fee to a monthly subscription model priced at $99. CEO Elon Musk envisions future Tesla cars capable of ‘unsupervised’ driving, potentially allowing passengers to engage in other activities during transit.
Recently, Tesla introduced robotaxi versions of its Model Y SUVs in Austin, Texas, equipped with advanced autonomous driving software and operating without human safety monitors in the vehicles.
Source: TechCrunch