Tesla Implements New Accident-Avoidance Automation, but Millions of Customers Lack Access
The new Automatic Collision Evasion feature requires a $99/month FSD subscription, leaving 85% of owners without this capability.
Tesla has introduced a new safety feature called Automatic Collision Evasion, which allows the vehicle to autonomously activate Full Self-Driving (FSD) to avoid imminent collisions. However, the feature is restricted to subscribers paying for the FSD package, potentially excluding millions of existing Tesla owners from this automated safety net.
What Happened
Automatic Collision Evasion can trigger FSD V14 to take evasive action during critical situations, even if the driver has not manually engaged the system. This functionality is limited to Tesla vehicles equipped with Hardware 4 (built since mid-2023) that are running FSD V14. Crucially, the feature requires the driver to be subscribed to the $99/month FSD service and have the software enabled in the vehicle’s menu. The source notes that approximately 15% of Tesla customers are currently paying for FSD, meaning roughly 85% of owners do not have access to this new automation. Additionally, Tesla has reportedly removed automatic lane assist from the standard feature set for non-subscribers, a capability that had been available to all customers since 2012.
Why It Matters
For the estimated 85% of Tesla owners who do not subscribe to FSD, the removal of standard lane assist and the gating of collision evasion behind a paywall represent a significant shift in the value proposition of their vehicles. The source argues that this creates a safety disparity, noting that competitors like Toyota and Nissan include automatic lane assist as a standard feature on even their base models. While the new collision evasion feature offers potential life-saving benefits for subscribers who may not actively use FSD for navigation, the restriction raises questions about whether Tesla is prioritizing revenue generation over broad safety accessibility for its installed base of approximately 5 million vehicles sold since mid-2023.
The Bottom Line
Tesla’s new Automatic Collision Evasion is a powerful safety tool for FSD subscribers with Hardware 4 vehicles, but its exclusion of the majority of the customer base highlights a growing divide between standard vehicle capabilities and premium software features.
