Tesla Owners Can Now Get Infotainment Upgrade And Still Keep Their Radio For $500 Extra

Owners of Tesla Inc’s TSLA earlier Model S and Model X vehicles who have opted for an infotainment system retrofit, which removes radio from their vehicles, can still listen to the broadcasts provided they shell out an extra $500.

What Happened: The $2,500 infotainment upgrade is offered to owners of Model S and Model X vehicles built March 2018 or earlier, according to Tesla’s website.

The upgrade adds features like video streaming and a games arcade. Tesla claims it also offers a “more responsive and faster touchscreen experience.”

Adding Radio to the upgrade will cost the owners of these earlier models a total of $3,000 (plus applicable tax). “There is no difference in price if you have the Radio Upgrade and Infotainment Upgrade installed separately or together,” the company says.

Radio upgrades will become available in the current quarter.

Why It Matters: The decision to offer the radio retrofit came after complaints from some owners, Electrek reported.

The new entertainment features have reportedly led to an increased demand for the infotainment updates.

Radio service from Sirius XM Holdings Inc SIRI will only be available on vehicles with existing XM radio antennas and requires an additional subscription. AM radio will not be available even with the upgrade, Tesla said on its website.

In June, it was reported that the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is probing the failure of Tesla’s giant touch screens that took place between 2012 and 2015.

Price Action: Tesla shares closed nearly 4.4% lower at $406.02 on Wednesday and gained 0.37% in the after-hours session.