Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the electric car maker will offer its offering Complete self-driving (FSD) operates on a subscription basis only in the US, eliminating the option for buyers to pay a one-time fee.
However, other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, have yet to confirm that they will follow suit for Model Y and Model 3 customers in their respective markets.
Mr. Musk posted the news on the social media platform
The system first launched in the US in 2021, where it can currently be used for a one-time fee of US$8,000 (A$11,889) or via a monthly subscription of US$99 (A$147) across the entire product range, which includes the Cybertruck, which is not sold here.
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FSD (Supervised) launched in September 2025 for Australia and New Zealand and can be purchased in Australia for $10,100 as a single payment or via an ongoing subscription for $149 per month.
In New Zealand, the respective prices are NZ$11,400 (A$9868) and NZ$159 (A$138) per month.
On these plans, it would take just over five and a half years of subscription payments to reach the one-off payment amount of $10,100 in Australia, without taking into account any taxes or other costs that may be included in the purchase price.
However, Tesla Australia said Daily Sparkz The announcement does not necessarily have an impact on local customers: “At this point it is a US initiative.”
Tesla UK announced something similar Auto Express It was unlikely to move to a subscription-only model, with FSD currently being tested but not available for use by customers on public roads in the UK.
“Given that FSD has not yet been fully released in the UK, it probably doesn’t make sense to offer it as a subscription for now,” the carmaker said Auto Express.
Australia is further along the path with FSD, suggesting it could follow the US model sooner than the UK and place the feature behind a subscription paywall.
Tesla Australia charges for other features, including satellite navigation, which previously included free lifetime access for vehicles delivered before July 20, 2022, but it is not the only automaker to do so.
Ford Australia introduced subscription fees for features such as built-in satellite navigation in 2025, with the choice of an annual fee of $110 or a monthly payment of $15.
This change affected 2020 models, including the best-selling Ranger Ute, Everest SUV and Transit vans.
Beyond software, BMW introduced heated steering wheel and seat heating features in 2022 via a subscription service through its ConnectedDrive store.
Chinese brand Xiaomi apologized for its customers’ reaction in early 2025 after limiting the power of its SU7 Ultra sports sedan, even for existing owners who previously had access to the vehicle’s full power of over 1150 kW.
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