Tesla discontinues Autopilot in bid to boost adoption of its Full Self-Driving software

Tesla has discontinued its Autopilot branding amid regulatory pressure and in an effort to promote adoption of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. This move follows a California judge’s ruling that Tesla engaged in deceptive marketing by overstating the capabilities of both Autopilot and FSD, leading to a 30-day suspension of Tesla’s manufacturing and dealer licenses in California. To comply, Tesla removed the Autopilot name, now offering new vehicles with only Traffic Aware Cruise Control as standard, while it is unclear if existing customers are affected. The company also shifted its FSD pricing model from a one-time $8,000 fee to a $99 monthly subscription, with plans to increase the subscription cost as the software improves. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has expressed confidence that future FSD versions will enable fully unsupervised driving, allowing drivers to engage in other activities during trips. Recently, Tesla deployed robotaxi versions of its Model Y in Austin, Texas, operating without human safety monitors but still