Tesla restores free premium in-car internet for some owners
Tesla currently reserves some of its in-car internet features for paying subscribers, but it might be making an exception for some owners. Drivers talking to Electrek say they’re suddenly receiving Premium Connectivity features for free, including satellite maps and media streaming over cellular. The company appears to have changed its eligibility requirements for Premium, but it’s not certain how or why.
All of the owners reporting the change are from Canada, with at least one driving a 2019 Model 3, but it doesn’t appear to apply to all Canadians.
We’ve asked Tesla for comment.
We wouldn’t count on Tesla giving away Premium Connectivity to many drivers. It charges $10 US per month in part to offset the heavier data use. Those costs could eat into Tesla’s bottom line over the lifetime of a vehicle. However, any change would be significant — it suggests that you don’t need to own a car from before the July 2018 cutoff to get full online features, at least under the right circumstances.
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