Tesla's Full Self-Driving subscription is finally available after multiple delays — and it might be a better value if you'd rather not commit to a purchase. Electreknotes that an updated Tesla mobile app now offers an FSD subscription for $199 per month to most users, or $99 if you bought Enhanced Autopilot before it was discontinued. You can cancel at any time, so you're not tied to a minimum obligation past that first month.
You will need the relevant FSD computer (aka HW3.0). If your EV doesn't have the hardware, you'll need to buy it for $1,500 before subscribing.
This has been a long time in coming. Elon Musk first revealed plans for the subscription in April 2020, but Tesla missed stated goals to launch the feature in late 2020, early 2021 and even a "sure thing" launch in May.
The monthly outlay still isn't a trivial expense, and it would still make more sense to pay the $10,000 upgrade price if you fully intend to use the FSD package for the life of your car. You'd start overpaying just 50 months into the subscription. Still, this might give you an excuse to try the not-quite-autonomous feature to see if it's worth the investment. It might also make sense if you only think you'll want FSD for short stints, such as a lengthy road trip where you'd rather let the car handle lane changes and traffic lights.