Tesla kills Autopilot, locks lane-keeping behind $99/month fee

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

What exactly is changing? (Autopilot vs lane-keeping vs TACC)

  • Multiple commenters note the article is confusing. Clarifications from manuals and Electrek are cited:
    • “Autosteer” / basic Autopilot (lane centering + adaptive cruise) is being removed from new Teslas.
    • New cars will ship only with Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) as standard; no lane centering unless you subscribe to FSD.
    • Existing cars that came with Autopilot are expected to keep it; removing a Monroney‑listed feature is seen as legally risky.
  • Some point out Tesla still has “Lane Departure Avoidance” as a safety feature, but this is distinct from true lane centering.

Comparison to other automakers and regulations

  • Many argue lane centering + adaptive cruise is now standard on mid‑range and even cheap cars (Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Hyundai, Kia, Volvo, etc.).
  • GM Super Cruise and Ford BlueCruise are also subscriptions, but their basic lane‑keeping is generally free.
  • EU rules already require some ADAS; in the EU Tesla would still need lane-keeping, so the change mainly hits US buyers.
  • BYD and other Chinese EVs are cited as bundling advanced driving assist for free, strengthening their value proposition.
  • Mercedes and others are criticized for similar “feature as subscription” moves (e.g., lane assist, heated seats).

Subscriptions, incentives, and “enshittification”

  • Strong backlash to putting what many see as basic safety/comfort behind a $99/month paywall.
  • Broader complaints about “everything as a subscription,” rent‑seeking, and CAN‑bus lock‑downs that block third‑party systems like comma.ai.
  • Some accept subscriptions for genuinely evolving software (e.g., true self‑driving), but not for static features like lane keeping.
  • Several tie this move to executive compensation and investor pressure: FSD subscription count is a bonus metric, lifetime FSD sales end soon, and this looks like a push to juice recurring revenue and Q1 numbers.

How good is FSD really?

  • Experiences are polarized:
    • Some say current FSD drives almost all trips with few interventions and is worth $99/month, especially for high‑mileage drivers or road trips.
    • Others report frequent disengagements, phantom braking, awkward behavior, and compare it unfavorably to Waymo.
  • Tesla’s “robotaxis” in Austin are noted to still have human supervision from chase cars. Legal liability remains on the driver; unlike narrow L3 systems (e.g., Mercedes), Tesla does not assume responsibility.

Likely impact

  • One camp: this will successfully convert heavy Autopilot users into FSD subscribers and grow software revenue.
  • Other camp: removing standard Autopilot just as competitors offer similar or better ADAS for free erodes Tesla’s main differentiator and will push buyers to other brands.