Tesla will start charging a monthly fee for 'premium' data usage
The free ride is almost over, late-arriving Tesla drivers.
A new update on the auto maker's website confirms that Tesla data access will divide into two tiers starting on Jan. 1, 2020. It doesn't affect every customer (more on that below), but many of them will soon need to choose between the free "Standard Connectivity" tier and the $9.99/month "Premium Connectivity" tier.
If all you want from your car's data access is basic maps and navigation, plus the ability to stream media over Bluetooth, then Standard is the way to go. You'll still have access to the fancier features (if you want them) whenever your car is connected to Wi-Fi.
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The paid Premium Connectivity options makes your Tesla's data crunching that much fancier. You'll be able to download firmware updates for your car from anywhere, get live traffic visualizations, and stream whatever online media you have access to without relying on your phone's Bluetooth and streaming data caps.
Tesla's update notes that the addition of data tiers only affects customers who bought their car on or after July 1, 2018. For those customers, if they have a Premium Connectivity trial that ends or or before the end of 2019, they'll keep the Premium package until we roll over into 2020. After that, they'll have to choose between paying the monthly subscription or living with the Standard tier.
Moving forward, Tesla orders for a "Model S, Model X and Model 3 with Premium Interior" will all include a free year of Premium Connectivity before a subscription becomes necessary.
Those who purchased their Tesla before July 2018 can rest easy. Unless you bought a base version of the Model 3 way back when, you've got free Premium Connectivity for the life of your car. Congratulations.
While the updated subscription info is already live on Tesla's website for all to see, the company has started notifying customers individually as well. A number of customers reported receiving emails from Tesla notifying them of the coming change and clarifying the end date for their trial, Electrek reports.
Topics Tesla
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
