Tesla has slashed its included premium connectivity period to 30 days for all Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. People are now going to have to pay sooner if they want to retain access to some of Tesla’s connectivity features.
For the longest time, all of Tesla’s vehicles came with internet connectivity included – something that is often a premium option in the industry.
The automaker made extensive use of that connectivity in many of its features – including driver-assist features to help develop its Autopilot system.
In 2018, Tesla indicated that it would be introducing different tiers of connectivity with the more data-heavy features moving to paid subscription service:
- Standard Connectivity offers basic maps & navigation, music & media over Bluetooth® and software updates over Wi-Fi. Note: Important safety updates will continue to be available over the car’s cellular connection.
- Premium Connectivity adds satellite-view maps with live traffic visualization, in-car streaming music & media, an internet browser, and over-the-air software updates via Wi-Fi and cellular.
The result is that all Tesla vehicles ordered before July 2018 still have full connectivity for free. Vehicles produced after that have to pay $10 per month for the premium connectivity features after a set period of time.
That period of time was 30 days for the Standard Range Plus Model 3 and a year for other versions of the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X.
Today, Electrek spotted that Tesla updated the period and now all Model 3 and Model Y vehicles only have a 30-day trial period instead of a year:
| Order Type | Premium Connectivity Trial Eligibility |
|---|---|
| New orders of Model S and Model X on or after July 1, 2018 | Yes, one year starting from delivery date |
| Inventory orders of Model S and Model X on or after July 1, 2018 | Yes, one year starting from delivery date |
| New orders of Model 3 and Model Y ordered on or after October 15, 2021 | Yes, 30 days starting from delivery date |
| Inventory orders of Model 3 and Model Y ordered on or after October 15, 2021 | Yes, 30 days starting from delivery date |
| Used car orders on or after January 9, 2020 | Yes, 30 days starting from delivery date |
| Tesla cars purchased privately and transferred ownership on or after January 21, 2020 without an active Premium Connectivity trial | Yes, 30 days starting from ownership transfer date |
| Tesla cars purchased privately and transferred ownership on or after January 21, 2020 with an active Premium Connectivity trial | Yes, for the duration of the initial trial period |
Only Model S and Model X still get a year of the free trial before they have to pay to keep some of those connectivity features.
Electrek’s Take
The move comes as Tesla and other automakers are looking more and more into subscription based services.
In Tesla’s case, the Full Self-Driving package as a monthly subscription is the bigger product at $200 a month.
The premium connectivity serves multiple purposes for Tesla. Tesla needs all of its vehicles to have internet connectivity, primarily for the development of its Full Self-Driving system. Limiting and charging for high-bandwidth features helps compensate for that cost.
This change, while perhaps disappointing, makes sense. That year of free connectivity is becoming expensive on Model 3 Long Range and Model Y vehicles, which are some of Tesla’s most popular vehicles.
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