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Automakers are embracing subscriptions whether customers like them or not, often pushing beyond what most of us find acceptable. BMW attempted to charge a monthly fee for heated seats, but users didn’t bite. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mercedes-Benz still offers Acceleration Increase for its EQ models, which initially cost $1,200 a year, and it’s an idea that Volkswagen is borrowing for the electric ID.3 in the United Kingdom.
Auto Express first reported that the automaker’s consumer site in the UK market lists the ID.3 Pro and Pro S as only having 201 horsepower instead of the full 228-hp output. The fine print reads that owners can “activate the optional power upgrade for a fee.” VW offers owners the option of a one-month free trial, a monthly or yearly subscription, or the ability to purchase it for the car’s lifetime.
Those costs are: £16.50 per month, £165 per year, or £649 outright, which is $22.36, $211.41, and $879,52, respectively, at today’s exchange rate. It’s an odd decision and one that doesn’t make much financial sense for a buyer on a car that costs around $50,000 to start. The extra cost is small enough to be hidden in the MSRP, and something most people would likely be willing to pay upfront.
But this paywall feels like an unnecessary hurdle designed to nickel-and-dime customers who might be leasing rather than buying. Automotive News Europe reported in…
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title_words_as_hashtags:#Volkswagen #Locking #Horsepower #Paywall
title_words_as_slug:volkswagen-is-locking-horsepower-behind-a-paywall
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