Tesla Is Moving FSD to Subscription-Only After Feb 14, 2026 - What the Official Tesla Docs Say (and Why Tesla Might Do It)
Elon Musk says Tesla will stop selling Full Self-Driving (FSD) as a one-time purchase after February 14, 2026, and that FSD will be subscription-only thereafter.
That’s a big shift — but the most important part is the practical detail: how Tesla already runs FSD subscriptions today (eligibility, pricing, refunds, cancelation rules, and what happens when a car changes owners).
Below is the clean breakdown, using Tesla’s official support documentation as the baseline, plus what the broader reaction suggests Tesla is trying to achieve.
1) What Tesla officially calls it: “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)”
Tesla’s support docs describe Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a suite of advanced driver-assistance features that provide more active guidance under the driver’s active supervision.
In Tesla’s own wording, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous, and require a fully attentive driver prepared to take over at any moment.
2) The subscription basics (official Tesla rules)
Eligibility (who can subscribe)
Tesla says you can subscribe if:
Your vehicle has Full Self-Driving computer 3.0 or above, and
You have Basic Autopilot or Enhanced Autopilot (EAP), depending on market.
Important: hardware upgrades are not included with the subscription. Tesla states the FSD computer must already be installed to be eligible; if not, you need to schedule installation via the Tesla app.
Where subscriptions are available
Tesla lists current subscription availability for eligible vehicles in:
United States
Canada
Mexico
Puerto Rico
Australia
New Zealand
(And Tesla notes you should check the app for updates on other regions.)
3) Official subscription pricing (Tesla support)
Tesla says the subscription price depends on your current Autopilot package:
| Current Autopilot package | Subscription to FSD (Supervised) |
|---|---|
| Basic Autopilot → FSD (Supervised) | $99/month |
| Enhanced Autopilot → FSD (Supervised) | $99/month |
Note: Tesla mentions Enhanced Autopilot is only available in select markets.
4) How to subscribe (and how to cancel)
Subscribe (Tesla app)
Tesla’s steps (summarized):
Open Tesla app → Upgrades → Software Upgrades → select Full Self-Driving (Supervised) → Subscribe
Tesla also says you can subscribe from the vehicle touchscreen (Controls → Upgrades → subscribe), if eligible.
Cancelation policy (this matters if it becomes subscription-only)
Tesla states:
You can cancel anytime from the Tesla app.
Monthly payments are not prorated.
After cancelation, you keep FSD features until the end of the current billing period.
Refund policy
Tesla states:
No refunds for subscriptions.
If you bought FSD with a one-time payment in the Tesla app, you may be able to request a refund within 48 hours (subject to in-app conditions). After that window, refunds generally aren’t available (and website purchases have different rules).
5) One-time purchase vs subscription (as of today)
Tesla’s support page still describes both options today:
| Option | Price | What you’re really buying |
|---|---|---|
| One-time purchase | $8,000 (USD) | FSD (Supervised) tied to the vehicle (subject to Tesla policies) |
| Subscription | $99/month (USD) | Access while you keep paying monthly |
If Musk’s statement is implemented as described, the $8,000 option disappears after Feb 14, 2026, and the only path becomes $99/month (or whatever price Tesla sets then).
6) What happens when the car is sold (this is a big difference)
Tesla’s support doc explains a key distinction:
If the previous owner purchased FSD outright (one-time payment), the vehicle is transferred with FSD.
If the previous owner subscribed, the new owner will need to subscribe using their own Tesla account.
That’s one reason many buyers historically preferred the one-time purchase: it can affect resale perception.
7) So why would Tesla push subscription-only?
Here are the most plausible reasons (based on how subscriptions work and what coverage/reactions emphasize):
A) Lower the barrier and increase adoption
One-time pricing forces an all-or-nothing decision. Subscription makes it:
“Do I want this this month?”
“Cancel when I don’t.”
That can massively increase trial and short-term adoption.
B) Make revenue more predictable (software business optics)
Recurring revenue is more predictable than one-time upgrades. Subscription-only:
smooths revenue across months
makes forecasting easier
looks more like a software business line item
C) Reset expectations and reduce “I paid $8k and it’s not autonomous” complaints
Tesla repeatedly emphasizes “Supervised” and “not autonomous” in the support docs. Subscription reframes FSD as:
a service you can turn on/off
worth paying for only when it’s valuable to you
That reduces the emotional mismatch between “I bought autonomy” vs “this is still supervised assistance.”
D) Pricing flexibility
Once subscription-only, Tesla can:
change prices over time
offer promotions
bundle with other services
segment by region/vehicle class
You can’t do that cleanly when customers “own” the feature forever.
8) What to watch next (the details that will decide if this lands well)
If Tesla goes subscription-only after Feb 14, 2026, the details that matter most are:
Does the monthly price stay $99, or change?
Do they add annual plans or discounted bundles?
Do they introduce tiers (highway vs city vs “robotaxi” later)?
What messaging do they use to clarify “Supervised” and responsibility?
Will subscription availability expand beyond the listed countries?
Bottom line
Tesla’s official docs already show the subscription model is mature: clear eligibility, pricing, cancel rules, and a strict no-refund/no-proration stance.
If the one-time purchase disappears after Feb 14, 2026 as Musk stated, the story becomes simple:
FSD turns into a pure recurring software product — and customers decide monthly whether it’s worth it.
Sources (for verification)
Tesla’s official subscription rules, pricing, eligibility, cancelation, refunds, and resale behavior: (Tesla)
Reporting on Musk’s “after Feb 14 subscription-only” statement and context: (Reuters)