Tesla owners with older hardware may have a new option available to them in the Tesla app: a $1,000 upgrade to Basic Autopilot. This interesting development was highlighted in a recent Reddit post by user akush_666, who shared their upgrade menu showing Autopilot priced at $1,000. The user, who owns a 2018 Model 3 with Hardware 2.5, mentioned that they never had Autopilot since it was originally a $3,000 option.
Basic Autopilot was first introduced in early 2019 and later became standard on new vehicles, leading to a $2,000 increase in the base vehicle price. Prior to this update, vehicles without the upgrade only had access to standard fixed-speed cruise control. On HW2.5 vehicles, Basic Autopilot includes Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) and Autosteer.
In the past, Tesla offered a limited-time “fire sale” to provide earlier buyers who missed out on Autopilot with an opportunity to upgrade. Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) was offered for $3,000, Full Self-Driving (FSD) for $2,000, or both bundled for $5,000. Owners who already had EAP could add FSD for an additional $2,000.
Now, it appears that Tesla is giving older owners with Hardware 2.5 vehicles the chance to purchase Autopilot at a much lower price point of $1,000. For those who have never experienced Autopilot, this could be a compelling upgrade as it brings adaptive cruise control and lane centering, two features that truly enhance the driving experience.
If you are still driving a Tesla with HW 2.5, check your Tesla app to see if the $1,000 Basic Autopilot upgrade is available to you. Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.