Is your car charging you a monthly fee? Explained
Car brands are now charging monthly fees to unlock extra features in electric vehicles—even though the hardware is already there.
For example, Volkswagen lets you boost your ID.3 or ID.4's horsepower from 201 to 228 for $22 a month or a one-time $880 payment, all through software.
How much do these features cost?
Mercedes-Benz offers faster acceleration on its EQE and EQS models for $60-$90 per month, while Tesla asks $2,000 once for its "Acceleration Boost."
BMW has tried charging monthly for heated seats and steering wheels, and even briefly put Apple CarPlay behind a paywall before backing down after customer pushback.
Automakers are using software updates to get steady payments from drivers
These subscriptions just unlock features already built into the car when you buy it—no new parts needed.
Automakers are using software updates to get steady payments from drivers, making owning an EV more expensive over time and changing what we think of as "standard" vs "premium" in new cars.