Tesla drops Autopilot, wants you to pay monthly for Full Self-Driving
Tesla just removed its Autopilot feature from new US cars after a court ruled they oversold what it could actually do.
Now, all you get standard is basic cruise control—no more lane-centering or hands-free perks unless you pay extra.
Why are people upset?
Owners and EV fans aren't happy, especially since even budget cars like Toyotas include lane-centering as standard.
While an industry shift toward subscription models has emerged to add new features, Tesla is taking away stuff that used to be free and making it paid-only—which feels like a step backward.
The new plan: subscriptions and big goals
Starting February 14, 2026, Tesla is ditching the $8,000 upfront fee for Full Self-Driving (FSD) in favor of a $99/month subscription.
Elon Musk says prices will go up as FSD gets better (think "unsupervised" driving).
Only about 12% of owners had FSD by late 2025, but hitting 10 million subscribers by 2035 is key if Musk wants his massive $1 trillion payday.