Tesla launches subscription service for navigation system 

Tesla will be forcing owners to pay a monthly subscription for basic services like navigation. 

The news comes after BMW rolled out monthly subscription fees for options like heated seats and cruise control. 

Tesla, which has always included basic navigation as part of the upfront payment of the car, will move onto the subscription model for all vehicles ordered after July 20 this year. 

READ MORE! BMW is launching a subscription service for heated seats and cruise control

This will leave a sour taste in the mouths of new buyers, as all cars that were bought before July 20 will come with free navigation services for life. 

All customers who buy their car after July 20 will be moved onto the subscription service after an initial eight-year period. 

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This is fine for a lot of people, as they’ll move on and buy a new car within this time frame anyway. 

But for others, who buy their cars and stick with them, the additional cost will certainly be unwelcome. 

And not to mention, people buying second-hand Teslas thinking they’re getting a great deal, only to be hit with subscription fees a year or two in. 

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With more brands moving toward the subscription service model, it’s possible Tesla will reduce that eight-year period too. 

Customers are almost totally reliant on the car’s navigation system too, because Teslas don’t support Apple CarPlay. 

Subscription services aren’t totally new to Tesla customers. 

The brand offers two different connectivity packages including the paid premium package. 

Drivers need to pay $9.99 per month or $99 per year for the package which allows them to see live traffic visualization, use the internet browser, Sentry Mode, and video streaming. 

With Volkswagen also reportedly considering a subscription model for technologies including autonomous driving, it looks like this could be a slippery slope.

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