There is a general agreement in car culture that Tesla is the technological outlier of automotive manufacturers. When people think of Tesla technology, they mostly think about the electric motor or battery innovation.
However, we at EVROOM feel that one of Tesla’s largest contributions to automotive technology and the overall driver experience is the integration of Autopilot and Self-Driving capabilities into the 2023 models.
Here’s an overview of Tesla’s autopilot and self-driving features and how much they cost:
Tesla’s Basic Autopilot [Standard]
Tesla’s Basic Autopilot is the suite of driver assistance features that are standard on all new 2023 Tesla Models. The Basic Autopilot adds functionality to your Tesla and is designed to help make driving on the freeway safer and less stressful.
The Basic Autopilot includes two technology advancements: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (What we, at EVROOM, call Smart Cruise Control) and Auto Steer (Active Lane Correction).
- Traffic-Aware Cruise Control matches the speed of your car to that of the surrounding traffic allowing your Tesla to accelerate, decelerate, and brake to keep with traffic.
- Autosteer keeps your Tesla centered between the lanes and can even steer around corners. Autosteer can also be used while in Traffic-Aware Cruise Control.
Tesla Model Y Enhanced Autopilot Upgrade [$6,000]
Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot upgrade on the Model Y adds additional sensors to allow the innovative software to navigate the Tesla without the driver.
This $6,000 upgrade includes the following abilities:
- Basic Autopilot: Similar to Active Cruise Control, the Tesla Model Y can accelerate, decelerate, brake, and steer on highways and open roads.
- Auto Lane Change: While in Autopilot, the Tesla can now change lanes to avoid slower-moving traffic.
- Autopark: Hate parallel parking? The Model Y can parallel park itself or squeeze into tight parking spaces.
- Smart Summon: The latest Enhanced Autopilot allows the Tesla to find you and come to you even in a crowded parking lot. This feature is ideal for tight parking locations or just showing off to your friends.
Tesla Model Y Full Self-Driving Capability Upgrade [$15,000]
If you are looking to get as many self-driving features as possible, the Full Self-Driving Capability (FSD) upgrade includes all functionality of the Basic Autopilot and Enhanced Autopilot as well as Traffic and Stop Sign Control, which allows the car to identify stop signs and traffic lights and slows your car to a stop on approach.
In the near future, Tesla hopes to add Autosteer on city streets. All of these driving features require the driver’s supervision.
While a $15k upgrade isn’t exactly cheap, when you purchase the Full Self-Driving Capability with the price of your Tesla you will not have to pay the monthly subscriptions to use this feature.
Tesla Full Self-Driving is Transferable
Another important thing to note is that Full Self-Driving Capability features transfer with your vehicle. In the event that you sell your Tesla, FSD will automatically stay with the vehicle and NOT with you. This means that you cannot transfer FSD from your existing Tesla to your new Tesla.
So if you are planning on upgrading your Tesla every few years, the subscription option would be more economical as you may terminate the subscription at any time.
Tesla Full Self-Driving Capability Subscription [$99-$199]
If you already own a Tesla and you would like to add the Full Self-Driving Capability, you may be able to do so via a monthly subscription. If your Tesla is currently equipped with the FSD computer 3.0 or above, and Basic Autopilot or Enhanced Autopilot, you are eligible to download the FSD software.
The monthly cost of the subscription is based on the current Autopilot system your Tesla is currently licensed to use. To upgrade Basic Autopilot to FSD it will cost you an additional $199 a month, and to go from the already upgraded Enhanced Autopilot to FSD, the monthly price is $99.
Subscribing from your 2023 Tesla can be done from your vehicle’s touchscreen or your Tesla mobile app.
Tesla Autonomous Driving
Many technophiles are eagerly awaiting Tesla’s anticipated release of Autonomous Driving. While Elon has been promising Tesla autonomous driving since 2014, Tesla has the following disclosure on their website:
[Full autonomy will be dependent on achieving reliability far in excess of human drivers as demonstrated by billions of miles of experience, as well as regulatory approval, which may take longer in some jurisdictions.
As Tesla’s Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving capabilities evolve, your car will be continuously upgraded through over-the-air software updates.]
It sounds like we will still be waiting a few more months, years, or even indefinitely for fully self-driving cars!
Bottom Line
The future of speeding down the highway at 100 mph riding end-to-end in fully self-driving autonomous vehicles feels so close… Yet it’s still so far away. There is no doubt in my mind that when that day happens it will either be Tesla or the strides that Tesla made that made it all happen.
Are we just Tesla fanboys? I like to think we’re not. We do, however, appreciate what Tesla has done to advance the automotive industry by rewriting the rules of low-emission vehicles, standard safety systems, and autonomous driving—for that, we’ll always be fans!
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