Elon Musk Reveals Tesla Autopilot 3.0 Will Be Free With $5,000 ‘Full Self-Driving’ Pack

A few days ago Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to thank Tesla customers and let them know some Autopilot upgrades were due soon. That time has now come it seems!

Glad you’re enjoying Model 3 & thanks for buying a Tesla! Major enhancements to Autopilot & fun games coming in a month with V9.0. https://t.co/HE7yfs5tLH

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 5 August 2018

Autopilot 3.0 on its way

Yesterday, Musk tweeted to share MIT researcher Lex Fridman's chart tracking the Tesla vehicles with different generations of Autopilot hardware. The post prompted a question from a journalist that has been on the mind of all Tesla lovers.

Tesla deliveries & AP hardware chart by @lexfridman at MIT pic.twitter.com/6vZxKMcec2

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 8 August 2018

Editor in chief of electric transport media outlet Electreck Fred Lambert asked the CEO when Autopilot 3.0 would be introduced and whether owners with hardware 2.0 would receive the upgrade free. Musk responded with some positive news!

Probably 4 to 6 months. Those who order full self-driving get the upgrade at no cost. It isn’t needed just for enhanced Autopilot.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 8 August 2018

The latest software will be available in the next four to six months and will be free for customers who purchase the ‘Full Self-Driving’ pack. Autopilot 3.0 will enable the features promised in the package.

Those features include double the number of active cameras, improved automatic charge connection and, most of all, the capacity for the vehicle to drive itself. Impressive as it is, this bundle does not come cheap.

For starters, in order to even add the advanced package, Tesla buyers need to already have the ‘Enhanced Autopilot’ package. This option already costs $6,000 as an upgrade after delivery.

The ‘Full Self-Driving’ pack can then be installed for $5,000 as an upgrade after delivery. Musk did mention in his tweet that the new software is not needed for owners who only want the 'Enhanced Autopilot' package.

An upgrade for autonomous driving

In Tesla's Q2 2018 financial results webcast, Musk told investors that head of Autopilot Pete Bannon and his team were on the path to "create this, the world’s most advanced computer designed specifically for autonomous operation.” Bannon is currently leading the development of hardware 3.0.

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Bannon further confirmed Musk's claims during the call. “The chips are up and working, and we have drop-in replacements for S, X and 3, all have been driven in the field,” he added.

What all this means is that Tesla may finally deliver on its promise of fully autonomous driving capability. A few hours after Musk's hardware 3.0 reply, Tesla revealed a free 14 day trial for the 'Enhanced Autopilot' option.

The trial provides Tesla drivers two weeks of access to the pack's many features, including Autosteer, Traffic Aware Cruise Control, Auto Lane Change, Summon and Autopark, at no cost. Once completed, customers may purchase the option through the car’s touchscreen or their Tesla accounts.