Tesla Motors Inc. set its retail price for the option that would allow a car to drive fully autonomously at $8,000, and hinted that those who paid it would be able to offset the cost through a ride-hailing network that would compete with Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc.
The price and mention of the ride-hailing Tesla Network appeared on the company’s website on Wednesday shortly after an announcement that, effective immediately, all new Tesla TSLA, +0.01% vehicles will include the hardware necessary to drive themselves. The $8,000 price covers the software to enable that hardware, an option called Full Self-Driving Capability, which will cost $10,000 if purchased separately from the vehicle.
The autonomous-driving software needs to be validated, and regulators must approve it.
