Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla's Full Self-Driving service will be available by monthly subscription later this year. He revealed the news during the company's Q1 2020 earnings call this week.

“I think we will also be having it as a subscription service, but it will be towards the end of this year,” Musk said of the Full Self-Driving system.

Tesla's Full Self-Driving and Autopilot features have been factory installed for years, and they are also available as an OTA upgrade, giving customers the option to activate the systems. As of last February, Full Self-Driving installation was priced at $5,000, while Autopilot installation went for $3,000. Fast forward to July 2019, and the Full Self-Driving package increased by an additional $1,000.

For those unaware, Tesla's Autopilot service allows the vehicle to initiate lane keeping functions, while Full Self-Driving does that and more, including autonomous parking and a summon feature that brings the car to you.

Tesla insists that paying for the Full Self-Driving option up front when purchasing a vehicle is the way to go, as it “will be the least expensive way to pay on a monthly basis,” a company rep stated. Musk then added, "In our view, buying FSD is an investment in the future and we're confident that this investment will pay off to the consumer. My guess is the FSD option is something people will not regret doing.”