Tesla Removes Autopilot from New Vehicles, Makes Lane-Keeping a $99/Month Subscription Amid California Regulatory Pressure
By
CharlesW
Right out the toaster. Reliable, with some real depth.
Summary
Tesla is facing regulatory pressure in California over deceptive marketing of its Autopilot system, with the state threatening to suspend sales if the issue isn't resolved within 60 days. California is Tesla's largest US market, though sales there have been declining quarterly. Instead of renaming Autopilot to something less misleading, Tesla has chosen to remove the feature from new vehicles and make lane-keeping functionality available only through a $99/month subscription. This move comes as Tesla faces falling sales and shrinking profits, making recurring revenue from subscriptions particularly valuable.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledTesla was told that if it couldn't resolve the deceptive marketing within those 60 days, the sales suspension would take effect.
California is far and away its largest market in the US, albeit one that is shrinking each quarter.
Having to suspend sales entirely in the state would be disastrous.
Now, if you buy a new Tesla and want it to steer itself—while you pay attention—you'll need to subscribe to a $99/month plan.
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