[Tesla Leads the Way...Hyundai Strikes Back] FSD Lite Rolls Out in Korea After North America, but 'China-Made' Models Are Excluded

Applicable to U.S.-Made Models Sold from 2019 to 2023

Autonomous Driving Enabled by Updates, Even for Older Models

Subscription Model Introduced: 150,000 Won per Month Instead of One-Time Payment

Tesla has begun distributing its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, 'FSD v14 Lite,' for older vehicle models in South Korea. However, vehicles manufactured in China, which make up the majority of Tesla's sales in Korea, are not eligible for this update.

Tesla FSD V14 Lite. Tesla Korea

This update adapts the autonomous driving features centered around the latest Hardware 4 (HW4) to be lightweight and compatible with older Hardware 3 (HW3) vehicles. Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's Vice President of AI Software, announced on his social media account on June 29 (local time) that "FSD v14 Lite is optimized for the HW3 camera and computing configuration while adopting the driving approach of the HW4 v14 series," and stated that the range of eligible vehicles would be expanded.

Currently, the update is being rolled out in North America and South Korea, with plans to expand to other global markets in the future.

In an official social media post in April, Tesla stated, "After distributing FSD v14 Lite to HW3 vehicles in the United States, we plan to expand the rollout to global markets," adding, "The global rollout will depend on various factors, including completion of technical verification, regional optimization, and regulatory approvals. As such, we cannot provide a confirmed date at this time, but we will keep you updated on our progress." This statement confirmed Tesla's intention to expand FSD adoption worldwide.

However, even with the introduction of FSD Lite in Korea, the applicable vehicles are limited to U.S.-manufactured HW3 models. Korean owners of HW3 vehicles have expressed frustration, as they purchased the expensive FSD option but have been unable to fully utilize its features due to hardware limitations and regulatory restrictions.

In the used car market, the prices of eligible vehicles are already rising. The vehicles that will receive FSD v14 Lite include U.S.-made Model 3 and Model Y units sold between 2019 and 2023.

The reason Korean consumers are enthusiastic about the rollout of FSD v14 Lite is that even vehicles nearly seven years old can now enable autonomous driving through a software update alone. The fact that vehicles sold several years ago were already equipped with hardware capable of autonomous driving highlights Tesla's long-standing business strategy.

Meanwhile, Tesla has decided to shift its domestic FSD sales model from a lump-sum payment to a monthly subscription. Currently, customers must pay about 9 million won to purchase the FSD feature, but starting August 10, they will be able to use the FSD feature for a monthly subscription fee of 150,000 won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.