The Tesla free data party ends, new $10 per month data plans coming for newer buyers

All Tesla cars come with WLAN modems built-in, and till now buyers had free access to this data network.

That’s about to change however, as Tesla warns buyers who purchased their car after July 1st 2018 that they will need to pay $10 per month to continue receiving Tesla Premium Connectivity.

The email reads:

“You’ve received a complimentary 30-day trial of Premium Connectivity ending on 01/07/2020. Subscribe any time during the free trial t continue enjoying the features below.”

Older vehicles remain grandfathered in, and older used cars will retain access to the full data stream.

The good news is that users will be able to tether over WIFI and still have access to most features such as Netflix or YouTube without paying anything extra, but unfortunately satellite maps and live traffic visualizations will only with Premium Connectivity.

The two tiers are:

• Standard Connectivity offers basic maps & navigation, music & media over Bluetooth® and software updates over Wi-Fi. Note: Important safety updates will continue to be available over the car’s cellular connection.
• Premium Connectivity adds satellite-view maps with live traffic visualization, in-car streaming music & media, an internet browser (for Model S and Model X), and over-the-air software updates via Wi-Fi and cellular.

Of course, $120 per year is actually pretty affordable (the price of Spotify or Netflix for example) and much cheaper than your AT&T bill.

For now, newer buyers are being switched to a 30-day trial of Tesla Premium Connectivity to give them some time to decide whether another subscription is worth it.

Via Electrek