Tesla recently ditched a one-time fee for FSD in favor of a subscription. Rivian has also launched a monthly subscription for its driver-assistance system. General Motors and Ford also want to maximize revenue through subscriptions. Subscription-based features have quietly become one of the auto industry’s most reliable new profit centers. Car manufacturers like Tesla, Lucid, and Rivian view subscriptions for driver-assistance functions as a crucial revenue stream. And if you don’t think it’s appropriate to pay monthly fees for these features, then too bad, as there’s no sign they will be going away. Since last year, Tesla has been restricting its most advanced driver-assistance functions to a $99-per-month subscription. Those who do not subscribe will find their Tesla has fewer assistance functions than a basic Toyota Corolla, as lane-keep assistance has now been removed from the standard cruise control function. By comparison, those who do subscribe can use one of the market’s best Level 2 systems. Read: Tesla’s Self-Driving Feature Just Became A Monthly Bill For Everyone Rivian has followed Tesla’s lead by launching a $49.99 monthly subscription for its hands-free driving systems, and Lucid is preparing to join them, Auto News reports. “Once you get used to not having to drive your car and having the time back, it’s going to be very hard for customers to accept anything less,” Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe told the outlet last year. “It’s going to lead to big swings in market share.” According to Lucid, “autonomy subscriptions are the single biggest software monetization opportunity,” and the promise of strong revenue appears likely to come at the expense of customer satisfaction. Owner Sentiment Toward Subscriptions According to JD Power senior director of user experience Kathleen Rizk, “subscription services, in general, are not really liked in the vehicle,” she said. “People feel like they’ve already spent a lot of money and they’re being nickel-and-dimed.” Executive analyst from iSeeCars, Karl Brauer, told Autonews that companies like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid are positioning their systems as industry-leading, with the expectation that this will persuade buyers to subscribe. “Right now, Rivian, Lucid and Tesla can say this is a special version of driver assistance, well beyond the standard Corolla system, and they can market it that way, whether you believe them or not,” he said. Will Monthly Fees Increase? For years, Elon Musk has argued that once Tesla vehicles become fully autonomous, their value will climb. In 2019, he claimed the company’s EVs would become “appreciating assets” because of their self-driving capabilities, but that has yet to happen. Tesla’s Full-Self Driving system is now available only through a subscription, with the one-time purchase option discontinued. Musk said in February that the subscription cost will rise as the technology improves. Of course, it’s not just EV-only startups looking to cash in. GM’s Super Cruise is locked behind a $39.99 monthly subscription, and Ford’s BlueCruise system costs $49.99 a month. GM says it could generate $400 million in revenue from Super Cruise subscribers alone this year. In other words, they’re here to stay.