Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Beta Is Now Available to Everyone in North America

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the company’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ Beta, which has been gradually rolling out over the past couple of years, is now available to anyone who’s paid for the feature in North America. “Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta is now available to anyone in North America who requests it from the car screen,” Musk tweeted, “assuming you have bought this option.”

The rollout of the beta software began in 2020 with a small number of customers and has since gradually expanded to be available to around 160,000 drivers as of October this year. Getting access to the beta requires that drivers hit a minimum safety threshold with Tesla’s built-in Safety Score feature and log 100 miles using the company’s advanced driver-assist feature Autopilot.

Recently, there have been reports that these prerequisites have been relaxed for drivers, with many reports claiming that Tesla owners have been able to access the “full self-driving” beta without hitting any particular requirements. Musk’s latest statement that the feature is now available to “anyone” who requests it in North America suggests that these requirements may no longer be in force.

Access to the beta mode depends on drivers having already purchased Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” functionality, which is currently available for an upfront fee of $15,000 when buying a car, or as part of an up-to $199 subscription. According to Tesla’s website, available features include the ability to identify and respond to traffic lights and stop signs, with the option of automatically steering on city streets listed as “upcoming.” Tesla cars include “Autopilot” driver assistance features like traffic-aware cruise control as standard, while a step-down “Enhanced Autopilot” feature is sold for $6,000, and offers features like auto park and smart summon.