Tesla to charge for 'premium' internet on new cars starting from July 1st
Tesla to charge for 'premium' internet
Since its inception, Tesla has offered cellular data access in its cars, and since 2014 they have indicated that they would begin charging for the service in 2018. Four years later, that moment is now at hand.
An internal Tesla sales team email has indicated that Tesla is launching a paid Premium Connectivity package for cars ordered on or after July 1st but there will still be no-extra-charge (Standard Connectivity) cell access, according to the email. They plan to just charge to get features that current owners take for granted.
You'll still get GPS navigation with traffic-based routing over cellular as well as live Supercharger usage info and safety-related car updates. Anything that's essential to the experience and doesn't consume too much data will remain free, but most everything else, however, will become part of the Premium package. That includes the satellite view, live traffic visuals, the web browser, music streaming and non-safety updates.
The price for the Tesla premium package has not been disclosed as of yet, but the target is roughly $100 per year or about €1.92 a week. An extra payment of €100 per year is a bit of a hassle, but probably not a huge problem for someone who can afford to own a Tesla. A
At this time, Tesla gives owners a year's worth of free Premium Connectivity if they buy a Model 3 with the Premium Interior option, or any Model S or Model X. And if you've already ordered a car before July 1st, everything remains free a slight relief if you bought a Model S back in 2014 and were dreading that first data bill.
As with the decision to start collecting payment for Supercharger access, this really comes down to the scale of service and its effect on Tesla's bottom line. It's relatively easy to offer free cellular data when you're selling a small number of luxury cars per year, but it's another matter entirely when you're selling hundreds of thousands of (relatively) mainstream vehicles.
The Premium package could help offset millions in data costs and assuage providers worried that their networks will come under strain from legions of Tesla drivers streaming tunes during their commutes. 
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Justin Kavanagh
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