Tesla will start charging a monthly fee for 'premium' data usage

The free ride is almost over, late-arriving Tesla drivers.

A new update on the auto maker's website confirms that Tesla data access will divide into two tiers starting on Jan. 1, 2020. It doesn't affect every customer (more on that below), but many of them will soon need to choose between the free "Standard Connectivity" tier and the $9.99/month "Premium Connectivity" tier.

If all you want from your car's data access is basic maps and navigation, plus the ability to stream media over Bluetooth, then Standard is the way to go. You'll still have access to the fancier features (if you want them) whenever your car is connected to Wi-Fi.

The paid Premium Connectivity options makes your Tesla's data crunching that much fancier. You'll be able to download firmware updates for your car from anywhere, get live traffic visualizations, and stream whatever online media you have access to without relying on your phone's Bluetooth and streaming data caps.

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Tesla's update notes that the addition of data tiers only affects customers who bought their car on or after July 1, 2018. For those customers, if they have a Premium Connectivity trial that ends or or before the end of 2019, they'll keep the Premium package until we roll over into 2020. After that, they'll have to choose between paying the monthly subscription or living with the Standard tier.

Moving forward, Tesla orders for a "Model S, Model X and Model 3 with Premium Interior" will all include a free year of Premium Connectivity before a subscription becomes necessary.

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Those who purchased their Tesla beforeJuly 2018 can rest easy. Unless you bought a base version of the Model 3 way back when, you've got free Premium Connectivity for the life of your car. Congratulations.

While the updated subscription info is already live on Tesla's website for all to see, the company has started notifying customers individually as well. A number of customers reported receiving emails from Tesla notifying them of the coming change and clarifying the end date for their trial, Electrek reports.