On January 14, 2026, Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, took to the social platform X to declare that, commencing February 14, Tesla will cease offering the one-time purchase option for FSD (Full Self-Driving Capability). Going forward, this functionality will be accessible solely via a monthly subscription plan, priced at $99 per month. Previously, FSD employed a dual approach of 'one-time purchase + subscription.' In the U.S. market, the cost for a one-time purchase was set at $8,000, while subscription fees were stratified into two categories: $99 per month for Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) users and $199 per month for standard users. In the Chinese market, the FSD one-time purchase price stood at 64,000 yuan, with no subscription service on offer at that time.

Following this restructuring, Tesla's FSD fully transitions to a Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription business model. For consumers, the subscription model diminishes the immediate financial burden of usage and bolsters flexibility. However, in the long run, the cumulative costs of subscription will surpass the one-time purchase price. For Tesla, the subscription model guarantees a steady stream of recurring revenue, cushions the impact of periodic fluctuations in vehicle sales, and entices a broader user base to sample the service, thereby amassing invaluable road-testing data to expedite technological advancements.