Want Full Power On Your Volkswagen EV? Pay 2000 Rupees Per Month To 'Unlock Power' Says VW
In a shocking development, Volkswagen has started rolling out an update on the ID. range of electric vehicles, which has paywalled their performance. Users reportedly have to pay a small sum to get access to an ‘increase in the power’ of some of the electric cars in the ID range. The microsubscription ‘unlocks’ the full power of these EVs. Volkswagen calls it an "optional power upgrade".
In the UK, it has a price of £16.50 per month, whereas in the US the cost is $22 per month. These translate to roughly Rs 2,000 per month ($1= Rs 87.4, £1= Rs 118.3). Volkswagen hasn’t, however, launched its EV range in India yet. These examples from leading global markets show just how scary in-vehicle subscriptions can get sometimes.
Paying for the ‘peak performance’ of your EV every month can be frustrating. Electric vehicles already come with (upfront) price premiums over Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles in many countries. In addition to this, when the buyer is asked to pay extra ( however small the amount be) every month, to access features/ potential of something that he/she has already paid for, it just doesn’t sound fair.
Two Volkswagen Electric Cars Effected
At present, the ID.3 and ID.4 are known to be affected by the update. If the add-on is not paid for, these offer 201hp of usable horsepower. However, if the subscription fee is paid, drivers get to access 228 hp.
Volkswagen has also introduced an annual plan, which requires the user to pay £165 for the same, and even a one-time payment scheme in which the amount rises to £649 or $880 ( Rs 76,886). According to the manufacturer, the paywall scheme is essentially about "offering customers choice". The lifetime subscription, again, applies to the car and not the owner. This means that any subsequent owners will not have to pay again for the same.
Volkswagen’s move has sparked outrage among owners and ID enthusiasts. Many call it a classic case of naked cash-grabbing from EV owners. It isn’t, however, something that happened all of a sudden. The paywall-based car ownership model has been picking up steam for quite some years now. We previously saw German brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW offering paywall-based features.
Mercedes had previously announced paywall models on the EQE and EQS for increasing the acceleration of these electric vehicles. Paying for this feature would allow the owner to shave off a few tenths of a second from the 0-100 kph time.
The price of these, however, were much higher than those of the Volkswagen ID range. You’d have to pay $60 per month or $600 per year for the EQE, and $90 per month or $900 per year for the EQS.
Customer Backlash Likely
BMW’s attempt to introduce micro-transactions in their range centred around the equipment list offered on its range. In a shocking announcement, the carmaker made the likes of heated seats, heated steering wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto pay-to-use features.
Owners were asked to pay $18 per month to unlock heated seats and $12 per month for heated steering wheels. Its attempt to impose an annual fee of $80 for the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, was, however, rolled back following public backlash.
Paywalled Features: Trend here to stay?
Even Tesla offers an "Acceleration Boost" upgrade on models like the Model Y. For this, however, you’ll have to spend $2,000 upfront. There is no subscription model offered.
The most interesting fact about all these updates is that the vehicles involved do not require any mechanical changes or upgrades for its features or performance to get paywalled. The advent of Internet-enabled tech on automobiles have made paywalling easy and in a way, helped manufacturers to squeeze extra money out of customers. The grim trend is likely here to stay, in some form...