Tesla

• Tesla released its affordable Model 3 and Model Y variants today.
• While cheaper, the cars neuter some serious hallmark Tesla traits.
• The most unseen one so far? Autopilot’s lane-centering feature, Autosteer.

Tesla’s new affordable versions of the Model 3 and Model Y are officially here. They’re cheaper, simpler and are, rather surprisingly, missing one of Tesla’s most important Autopilot features.

For the first time in years, Tesla is shipping cars without Autosteer. That means anyone digging out their wallets won’t just be sacrificing the creature comforts of faux-leather seats and double the speakers—they’ll also be missing out on the lane-centering feature that defined the brand’s early promises of full-blown automated driving (even if it technically never graduated to that level.) 

Let’s pause for a second and appreciate how weird this is.

For years, the full Autopilot package has been baked into nearly every single Tesla sold in the U.S. It’s so basic, in fact, that you’d never even think to ask if it were included. Tesla built its identity on advanced driver-assistance systems, with a claimed mission to deliver access to transportation that is affordable, safe and sustainable. 

Now, as part of the effort to make its car more affordable (or perhaps up-sell more profitable trims), the package has officially been neutered to remove Autosteer entirely. 

To be clear, we’re not talking about Full Self-Driving here. This is Autopilot, which is meant to help with highway driving. It includes Traffic Aware Cruise Control (the feature that controls acceleration and braking while responding to surrounding cars) and Autosteer (which helps the car automatically follow lane lines). TACC is still included, but Autosteer is not, which means that it’s going to feel a lot like 2012-era Tesla, and steering your car completely on your own is so back, baby.

It’s unlikely that this is a hardware restriction, as owners can still purchase Tesla’s Full Self-Driving package for $8,000. That feature will pilot the car from point to point, on any roads, but requires full driver supervision.

However, if owners don’t buy FSD, Autosteer is left out of the feature matrix. Maybe this is Tesla using its software as a way to convince owners to spend a few extra bucks on a more profitable model, as cheaper cars generally deliver lower margins. Removing Autosteer disincentivizes buyers by stripping away what was once Tesla’s biggest claim to fame. 

Tesla’s cheap car is badly needed, though. With the U.S. tax credit being cut and tons of competition coming in strong (like the sub-$30,000 Nissan Leaf), Tesla needs to be able to deliver a car that stops the sales bleed that it’s been facing. And, sure, Q3 was good, but the tax credit FOMO won’t last forever, and folks haven’t forgotten about Elon Musk’s political meddling.

Maybe these lower-priced cars will be Tesla’s secret weapons. But in the States, a selling point like “Now, With Less Driving Automation” doesn’t sound like it will be bringing in more buyers.