Mercedes Makes Better Performance a $1,200 Subscription in Its EVs

[OnlinePoker]

Mercedes is now taking subscription fees to an entirely new, maddening level. For new Mercedes EQ electric models, customers will have to pay a $1,200 (plus tax) yearly subscription to unlock the full performance potential of their cars.

If you head to Mercedes' online store, you will find an "Acceleration Increase" subscription service for all EQ models. According to Mercedes, the yearly fee increases the maximum horsepower and torque of the car, while also increasing overall performance. Acceleration from 0-60 mph is said to improve by 0.8-1.0 seconds and the overall characteristics of the electric motors are supposed to change as well. The extra performance is unlocked by selecting the Dynamic drive mode.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/mercedes-makes-better-performance-a-1200-subscription-in-its-evs

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It's absolutely disgusting that these capabilities are built into the vehicles when leaving the factory but you're held hostage from accessing them unless you give the company another $1200 per year.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. I thought NJ made this stuff illegal

[Shermann]

6. Yes I recall that headline

This appears to be the exact scenario they are concerned with.

This is a tough one because software companies have been doing this for years, shipping one software program that includes all the functionality in individually unlockable modules. Then it became software as a subscription service with a monthly fee. Consumers are comfortable with all that, but are they comfortable thinking of their car as a computer running software licensed in this way? The problem with car manufacturers is they have you locked in and you aren't free to pick a different vendor if they change their license agreements in an unfavorable way.

[dchill]

2. It's just business.*

*extortion

[Meadowoak]

3. The BMW comes with heated seats that don't work unless you

Pay a subscription fee each month.

[FSogol]

7. That was only tested in S Korea. Customers balked and they ended that weeks later. n/t

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. Simple solution: don't buy such a car.

[durablend]

13. Until they all get the same bright idea.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

19. All it takes is 'consumers' deciding not to buy a car that requires a subscription.

[Jedi Guy]

5. It was only a matter of time until this started to happen in other industries.

Video games have been doing it for years and years. We've had day-one DLC (downloadable content), or content that should have been included in the base game but was instead included for an additional fee on launch day. We've seen games get released in an absolutely pitiful state (looking at you, No Man's Sky) and be "fixed" later via patches. To their credit, the developer of NMS did so for free, at least. Not all devs are so generous in that regard. Games are released as "early access" (which in reality means beta or even alpha) with the devs intending to finish them over time and use the players as unpaid testers. Sometimes the devs simply pocket the money and vanish, leaving the games unfinished.

Eventually other industries were going to catch on to those types of shenanigans, and that day has arrived. Auto makers looked on with envious eyes as video game companies bled their customer base dry by the nickel and the dime, and then simply tweaked the concept to make it work for themselves. Mercedes is banking (heh) on the idea that its wealthy customers will shrug and just pay the fee. Here's hoping their wealthy customers shrug and buy elsewhere, though I've seen stories about other luxury auto makers doing the same.

Ain't 21st century capitalism grand, folks?

[Sympthsical]

14. Ayep to all that

I'm trying to finish up finals projects and the last of the semester homework in a big burst this week because . . . WoW expansion on Monday. I want three or four days of breathing room to enjoy it before final exams start.

However, chances of bugs, crashes, resets, and maintenance plaguing the entire thing, with fundamental problems that don't get addressed until a patch six months later?

High. Very, very high.

They have rushed that thing out the door. Pretty sure because Blizzard is busy getting its pants sued off by everyone.

[Chainfire]

8. Where is a good hacker when you need one?

[beaglelover]

9. My Tesla Model 3 has this option. But the car is already crazy fast, I have no need to 'upgrade'.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

10. Turn around, walk out the door.

That’s MY consumer feature.

[canuckledragger]

11. That's where guys like me come in to figure out how to unlock this stuff

I don't like greed like this, and seek out ways around it.

Tinkinkering with autos via computer, etc has been around for a while, from what I think was a line of minivans released a few decades ago that you could hook a laptop up to and fiddle with engine timings, to custom ROMs you get get for fuel-injected cars increasing performance that way.

Don't tell ME what I can or can't do with something I own.

[Lettuce Be]

12. This sort of thing is insanity. Why anyone would go for it is beyond me. Just say no.

[sir pball]

15. Tesla sells, or at least sold, extra range as a software option.

It made the news during some hurricane evacuation a couple years ago; Tesla pushed a free, temporary update to Model 3s in the evacuation zone to give them an extra 100 miles or something like that.

[moonshinegnomie]

16. maybe mercedes should worry about reliability instead of greed

least reliable cars

https://www.kbb.com/car-news/consumer-reports-toyota-lexus-make-the-most-reliable-cars-mercedes-the-least/

[keithbvadu2]

17. Russia stole Ukrainian tractors, but they have been 'bricked' remotely.

Russia stole Ukrainian tractors, but they have been 'bricked' remotely.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=russia+steals+ukraine+tractors&form=ANNTH1&refig=ea541c4cedde4b8fa32eb2fceb8fd140

'No owner repair' policy has been in use for farm eqt for quite a while now.

[Calculating]

18. My model 3 offers acceleration upgrade

$2000 to get 3.7 second 0-60 time down from 4.3 seconds.

[GoodRaisin]

20. Guess I won't be buying one then.

Of course, I wouldn’t be buying one if the “upgrades” were being given away either.