Tesla just pulled the plug on Autopilot, the driver-assistance system that's been standard on its cars since 2019. The move comes as the automaker scrambles to push customers toward its more expensive Full Self-Driving software - and as California prepares to suspend the company's manufacturing and dealer licenses for 30 days over what a judge called years of deceptive marketing about those very same features. It's a high-stakes gamble that could reshape how millions of Tesla owners interact with their vehicles.
Tesla is making a drastic play to rescue its struggling autonomous driving business. The company quietly discontinued Autopilot this week, stripping new vehicles of the lane-centering Autosteer feature that's been a signature capability since the system launched over a decade ago. Now, buyers only get Traffic Aware Cruise Control - basic adaptive cruise that maintains speed and distance from cars ahead - unless they pony up for a Full Self-Driving subscription.
The timing couldn't be more loaded. Tesla faces a 30-day suspension of its manufacturing and dealer licenses in California, its largest U.S. market, after a judge ruled in December that the company engaged in deceptive marketing by overstating Autopilot and FSD capabilities for years. The California DMV stayed the ruling for 60 days to let Tesla comply by dropping the Autopilot name - and the company appears to be doing exactly that, albeit in the most aggressive way possible.
"Tesla's online configuration site now states new cars now only come standard with Traffic Aware Cruise Control," according to TechCrunch. It's unclear whether existing customers will lose access to Autosteer or if the changes only affect new purchases.
