Tesla’s Full-Self Driving software is once again becoming more expensive

Tesla has raised the price of its Full-Self Driving (FSD) software to $15,000 from $10,000. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter that the new price will be implemented in North America beginning September 5th, representing a $3,000 increase.

Drivers who order a vehicle before September 5th will not be charged the newly increased price, according to Musk. The price increase comes as Tesla begins rolling out FSD beta 10.69 to drivers, which Musk describes as a “significant step forward.” It’s unclear whether Tesla intends to raise the price of its FSD subscription, which is currently $199 per month.

The FSD software allows drivers to navigate to and from specific destinations using Tesla’s advanced driving assistance system (ADAS), Autopilot, as well as other driver-assist features. FSD does not make a vehicle fully autonomous; drivers must always keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

Tesla’s FSD beta has gradually increased in price over the years, and it now costs $5,000. However, when Tesla began rolling out the FSD beta to a select group of customers in October 2020, the price was raised to $10,000. Tesla began opening the beta to more customers in September 2021 via a new “request” button before raising the price to $12,000 earlier this year.

In 2019, Musk referred to Tesla vehicles as “appreciating assets,” implying that their value will rise as Tesla introduces new driver-assist features. Musk later stated that “the value of FSD” could exceed $100,000 “as the software approaches full self-driving capability with regulatory approval.”

Earlier this month, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) accused Tesla of making “false or misleading claims” about the self-driving capabilities of its vehicles. The DMV claims that the names Autopilot and FSD, as well as the language Tesla uses to describe them, may lead users to believe that the vehicles are capable of operating autonomously.

Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) asked the Federal Trade Commission last August to look into how Tesla advertises its FSD and Autopilot software. Later, the two lawmakers wrote to Musk to “express serious concerns” about Tesla’s driver-assist system, to which Tesla responded by saying its system can help customers “drive safer than the average driver in the United States.”