Elon Musk is adjusting the price of his Tesla options. First change: the Autopilot option becomes standard on all models - including Model 3, which sees its base price increase. It is still possible to buy vehicles without Autopilot, but they are no longer available via the brand's website.
Tesla: Autopilot goes standard, and the price of the fully autonomous driving option increases
Thus the Model 3, in particular, recently available in the United States in a $ 35,000 variant, becomes more difficult to find at this price - out of physical stores. This Autopilot option is separate from the Fully Autonomous Driving option, which currently costs $ 5300 if added at the time of purchase and $ 7400 if added after delivery. This allows you to go beyond a simple driving assistance.
Elon Musk has announced in a series of tweets that the price of this option "increase over time" with a first increase from May 1, without specifying the magnitude of the increase. According to Engadget, the main reason for this change is the arrival of next-generation autonomous driving technology to be introduced on April 22, 2019.
In addition to introducing this new technology for future vehicles, the contractor would intend to upgrade existing customers who have already purchased the fully autonomous option "in the coming months" following the announcement.
Model 3 available for leasing
Of course, in addition to this probable reason, it is impossible to remove the difficulties experienced by Tesla last year in explaining these price changes that seem to be aimed at ultimately leading customers to spend more money. Difficulties appeared against a backdrop of extremely ambitious production objectives, major difficulties on the production chains, and sustained demand.
Starting May 1— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2019
