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Tesla Full Self-Driving subscription gets definitive release date from Elon Musk
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving subscriptions are definitely coming in May 2021. This was related and reiterated by CEO Elon Musk in recent comments on Twitter.
While discussing Tesla’s AI prowess and the company’s efforts to improve its vision stack, Musk noted that the highly-anticipated FSD Button would hopefully be rolled out next month. When prodded about FSD subscriptions, Musk pointed out that the timeframe for the upcoming service was the same.
Same timing
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 14, 2021
Interestingly enough, the CEO actually reiterated this point in a later tweet. Explaining his previous points further, Musk clarified that the May target for the FSD Button is aspirational, as it depends on how well the FSD Beta’s V9.0 update gets received. This was not the case for FSD subscriptions, however, as Musk noted that a release next month is a “sure thing.”
“Button timing of May is aspirational. It depends on how well the limited beta of V9.0 goes, but I would be surprised if (the) wide beta (aka button) is later than June. FSD subscription next month is a sure thing,” Musk wrote.
The idea of a subscription-based model for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite is something that has been highly anticipated in the electric vehicle community. FSD, after all, costs $10,000 upfront, which could be considered steep for budget-conscious car buyers, especially as some key features like automatic driving for inner-city streets are yet to be released.
With a subscription-based model, Tesla would be able to offer its best driver-assist system to a broader group of customers. This is partly due to the model’s practical nature, as FSD would only require payment when needed. Such a model could be extremely valuable for budget-conscious owners who tend to take long trips every holiday season, as features like Smart Summon and Navigate on Autopilot with Auto Lane Changes are known to make long trips easier.
Button timing of May is aspirational. Depends on how well limited beta of V9.0 goes, but I would be surprised if wide beta (aka button) is later than June. FSD subscription next month is a sure thing.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 14, 2021
Tesla has not released any details about its upcoming FSD subscription program, though last September, a Model 3 owner and a member of the r/TeslaMotors subreddit was able to find references to subscription-based services in the mobile app. Noted Tesla owner-hacker @greentheonly has also found code for subscription plans in Tesla’s software.
Even at its current state, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite is already one of the most advanced driver-assist systems in the market. And that’s the system in its pre-FSD Beta state. With this and the upcoming V9.0 update in mind, Tesla owners may very well be just a few weeks away from enjoying a system that transforms their vehicle into a computer on wheels that could handle most of its driving on its own.
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Tesla made a change to the Cybertruck, and nobody noticed. But to be fair, nobody could have, but it was revealed by the program’s lead engineer that it was aimed toward simplifying manufacturing through a minor change in casting.
After the Cybertruck was given a Top Safety Pick+ award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), for its reputation as the safest pickup on the market, some wondered what had changed about the vehicle.
Tesla makes changes to its vehicles routinely through Over-the-Air software updates, but aesthetic changes are relatively rare. Vehicles go through refreshes every few years, as the Model 3 and Model Y did earlier this year. However, the Cybertruck is one of the vehicles that has not changed much since its launch in late 2023, but it has gone through some minor changes.
Most recently, Wes Morrill, the Cybertruck program’s Lead Engineer, stated that the company had made a minor change to the casting of the all-electric pickup for manufacturing purposes. This change took place in April:
We made a minor change on the casting for manufacturability in April. Our Internal testing shows no difference in crash result but IIHS only officially tested the latest version
— Wes (@wmorrill3) December 17, 2025
The change is among the most subtle that can be made, but it makes a massive difference in manufacturing efficiency, build quality, and scalability.
Morrill revealed Tesla’s internal testing showed no difference in crash testing results performed by the IIHS.
The 2025 Cybertruck received stellar ratings in each of the required testing scenarios and categories. The Top Safety Pick+ award is only given if it excels in rigorous crash tests. This requires ‘Good’ ratings in updated small and moderate overlap front, side, roof, and head restraints.
Additionally, it must have advanced front crash prevention in both day and night. Most importantly, the vehicle must have a ‘Good’ or ‘Acceptable’ headlights standard on all trims, with the “+ ” specifically demanding the toughest new updated moderate overlap test that checks rear-seat passenger protection alongside driver safety.
Tesla has entered an interesting situation with its Full Self-Driving suite in California, as the State’s Department of Motor Vehicles had adopted an order for a suspension of the company’s sales license, but it immediately put it on hold.
The company has been granted a reprieve as the DMV is giving Tesla an opportunity to “remedy the situation.” After the suspension was recommended for 30 days as a penalty, the DMV said it would give Tesla 90 days to allow the company to come into compliance.
The DMV is accusing Tesla of misleading consumers by using words like Autopilot and Full Self-Driving on its advanced driver assistance (ADAS) features.
The State’s DMV Director, Steve Gordon, said that he hoped “Tesla will find a way to get these misleading statements corrected.” However, Tesla responded to the story on Tuesday, stating that this was a “consumer protection” order for the company using the term Autopilot.
It said “not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem.” It added that “sales in California will continue uninterrupted.”
This was a “consumer protection” order about the use of the term “Autopilot” in a case where not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem.
Sales in California will continue uninterrupted.
— Tesla North America (@tesla_na) December 17, 2025
Tesla has used the terms Autopilot and Full Self-Driving for years, but has added the term “(Supervised)” to the end of the FSD suite, hoping to remedy some of the potential issues that regulators in various areas might have with the labeling of the program.
It might not be too long before Tesla stops catching flak for using the Full Self-Driving name to describe its platform.
Tesla Robotaxi goes driverless as Musk confirms Safety Monitor removal testing
The Robotaxi suite has continued to improve, and this week, vehicles were spotted in Austin without any occupants. CEO Elon Musk would later confirm that Tesla had started testing driverless rides in Austin, hoping to launch rides without any supervision by the end of the year.
Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) closed at an all-time high on Tuesday, jumping over 3 percent during the day and finishing at $489.88.
The price beats the previous record close, which was $479.86.
Shares have had a crazy year, dipping more than 40 percent from the start of the year. The stock then started to recover once again around late April, when its price started to climb back up from the low $200 level.
This week, Tesla started to climb toward its highest levels ever, as it was revealed on Sunday that the company was testing driverless Robotaxis in Austin. The spike in value pushed the company’s valuation to $1.63 trillion.
Tesla Robotaxi goes driverless as Musk confirms Safety Monitor removal testing
It is the seventh-most valuable company on the market currently, trailing Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta.
Shares closed up $14.57 today, up over 3 percent.
The stock has gone through a lot this year, as previously mentioned. Shares tumbled in Q1 due to CEO Elon Musk’s involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which pulled his attention away from his companies and left a major overhang on their valuations.
However, things started to rebound halfway through the year, and as the government started to phase out the $7,500 tax credit, demand spiked as consumers tried to take advantage of it.
Q3 deliveries were the highest in company history, and Tesla responded to the loss of the tax credit with the launch of the Model 3 and Model Y Standard.
Additionally, analysts have announced high expectations this week for the company on Wall Street as Robotaxi continues to be the focus. With autonomy within Tesla’s sights, things are moving in the direction of Robotaxi being a major catalyst for growth on the Street in the coming year.
Tesla made a change to the Cybertruck and nobody noticed
Tesla enters interesting situation with Full Self-Driving in California
