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Tesla Announces ‘Full Self Driving’ Price Increase Amid California DMV False Advertising Claims

By Ben McKimm - News Published:

Elon Musk took to his Twitter to announce the upcoming 10.69.2 Beta release of Tesla’s “Full Self Driving” software will see a price increase in North America of $15,000 USD from September 5th, 2022. The world’s richest marketing manager says the “current price will be honoured for orders made before Sept 5th but delivered later.”

As a reminder, the Tesla FSD camera-based Autopilot software is still being tested on public roads through a pool of 100,000 users. The brand crowdsources data to improve its systems through specifically chosen users who ‘upload’ scenarios in the hope of improving the system. The brand’s choice to not use LIDAR technology has been widely criticised and recent tests alongside a false advertising claim by the California regulator have put the system under the microscope.

Related: The Tesla Cybertruck is no longer for sale in Australia.

The price increase news arrives the same day Tesla began rolling out FSD Beta 10.69 to owners, a new update that Elon Musk says includes “many major code changes,” and will mean “an extra cautious rollout.” Not the most confidence-inspiring words to say the least. Due to the intensive process, the 10.69 release will begin on 8/20 to roughly 1000 Tesla owners, then 10.69.1 the next week to accommodate feedback and release to around 10,000 customers. This ‘data accumulation’ will result in Beta 10.69.2 the week after and release to the rest of FSD Beta (est. 100,000 people).

It also comes as Reuters reports the California regulator has put their microscope over the entire system, claiming Tesla is falsely advertising Autopilot, Full Self-Driving.

Telsa interior

Image: Unsplash | Bram Van Oost

Since 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened 38 special investigations of crashes involving Tesla vehicles where ADAS systems were suspected of being used. Nineteen deaths were reported from those crashes, including a motorcyclist killed last month in Utah (source: Reuters).

While we’ve always been sceptical of the system, it only takes one look at the Tesla Model 3 owner’s manual to realise the limited nature of the system and how much the brand is willing to leverage the words “Full Self Driving.” The vast majority of automated features cannot be used on public roads or in public spaces. Most of the driving technologies “require active driver supervision,” with a “fully attentive” driver whose hands are on the wheel, “and do not make the vehicle autonomous.” according to the DMV.

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Ben McKimm
Journalist - Automotive & Tech

Ben McKimm

Ben lives in Sydney, Australia. He has a Bachelor's Degree (Media, Technology and the Law) from Macquarie University (2020). Outside of his studies, he has spent the last decade heavily involved in the automotive, technology and fashion world. Turning his passion and expertise into a Journalist position at Man of Many where he continues to write about everything that interests the modern man. Conducting car reviews on both the road and track, hands-on reviews of cutting-edge technology and employing a vast knowledge in the space of fashion and sneakers to his work. One day he hopes to own his own brand.

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