Tesla Counts 1.74 Million FSD 'Subscribers' Under Rules Set for Musk Pay Package
The automaker's latest report on Full Self-Driving subscriptions uses a specific methodology tied to executive compensation milestones, a definition that includes outright software purchases.
By Anna Nowak ·
Tesla reported 1.74 million active Full Self-Driving subscriptions as of October 2026, a figure that has climbed 67% over the past year. However, the company's Q3 2026 shareholder letter includes a footnote clarifying that this total is calculated according to the standards set by the 2025 CEO Performance Award. Under that specific definition, the count encompasses both upfront payments and monthly subscriptions.
This accounting method includes owners who purchased FSD outright years ago, some for prices reaching $15,000, as long as their vehicle remains active. Tesla stopped selling FSD as a one-time purchase on February 14, 2026, and now offers the software only as a subscription priced at $99 per month in the US. The only category excluded from this active subscription count is free trials.
The method is significant because reaching 10 million active FSD subscriptions is a required milestone for Elon Musk to earn his 2025 pay package. Tesla also reports that its cumulative deliveries figure, now at 10.2 million, includes any unsupervised Robotaxis placed into commercial operation, a calculation that aligns with the pay package's 20 million vehicle milestone. As of June 30, Tesla considered only the 20 million vehicle delivery target as probable to achieve.
Tesla also stated that over 75% of new deliveries in North America included FSD subscriptions during Q3, describing it as a nearly twenty percentage point sequential increase. The company did not define how this figure is calculated or clarify if it includes introductory offers. Additionally, Tesla has not disclosed how many of the 1.74 million active subscriptions involve customers paying the monthly fee, despite being asked about this detail after reporting 1.28 million in April.
The company added 260,000 net FSD subscriptions in Q3, marking its strongest quarter to date. At this rate, it would take approximately eight years to reach the 10 million target. Based on the pace of the last 12 months, which is about 700,000 per year, it would take closer to 12 years, while the pay package award extends through 2035.
Source: Electrek
