Tesla is recognized as one of the most advanced manufacturers in terms of technology and connectivity. His electric cars are synonymous with innovation in a field that nobody had taken into account until his arrival on the market. In 2012, the Model S surprised everyone not only for being an electric family sedan with a long range, but for the connected services available on board through its large 17-inch vertical screen. But software and connectivity are expensive technologies that need to be constantly maintain and update. For this reason, many manufacturers offer it as an annual subscription service. Until now, Tesla, in its basic form, offered it for free for life, but that has already changed.
The July 20, 2022 it was the deadline for free lifetime connectivity in Tesla electric cars. From that date, the owners have eight years of free service from the date of purchase. Then they must pay monthly or yearly subscription fee. Until 2014, all Tesla cars had all connectivity services free of charge and forever. That year, Tesla announced that the free Internet connection would last four years at most. However, the established deadlines passed and the manufacturer continued to offer full connectivity for free. It was in 2019 when he started introducing different levels of connectivity: On the one hand, connectivity and at the top level, Premium connectivity.
The standard service it is the more basic of the two levels of connectivity that Tesla offers. Includes browsing, but lacks live traffic, streaming video, and other features of the premium levelwhose monthly or annual cost is indicated in the application.
According to an iSeeCars study, the average length of ownership of a car is 8.4 years, which means some Tesla owners will find themselves needing to subscribe to basic connectivity some time from now. At the same time, technology is evolving rapidly, so it will be interesting to see if that average ownership time holds up with current electric cars as well.
It is precisely the rapid evolution of technology that makes cars become obsolete very quickly. This scenario makes many owners seek to upgrade by changing cars to access new technologies and innovative features. However, Tesla, and now many of the car manufacturers, are working so that this is not the case and so that their vehicles last over time. updating wirelessly via OTA services (above the air).
These OTAs make it possible to add new functions, improve existing systems and extend the useful life of a vehicle equipped with advanced technology. The electrification of propulsion has elevated these possibilities beyond changing the appearance of the interface, even allowing act on benefits and autonomy. This means that over time, electric cars are better than when they left the factory. Whether these upgrades can keep a vehicle looking cool for eight years remains to be seen.
