- Volkswagen offers a “optional power upgrade against a fee” on two cars
- The benefit upgrade increases the power with 27BHP
- Subscription packages have previously attracted criticism from buyers
Volkswagen gets customers to pay an extra fee to lock the full flow of ID 3 Pro and ID3 Pro S models, as it has been revealed, with £ 16.50 (about £ 22 / AU $ 34) per day. Month required to access the vehicle’s full 228BHP.
Auto Express revealed that both models were erected as producing 150 kW or 201 horsepower on the company’s British configurator, where the small print revealed that owners could only access the full 228 hp (170 kW) factory capacity via an “optional power upgrade for a fee.”
Buyers can choose to pay monthly, in which case the vehicle would return to its lower power setting when sold, or part by £ 649 (about $ 880 / AU $ 1,350) for a one -time fee that stays with the vehicle.
In a statement made to Auto Express, a Volkswagen spokesman said that offering more power to customers is “nothing new” and that those who want to buy an ID 3 can choose to have a “sportier driving experience” without having to commit to a more expensive vehicle from the start.
Volkswagen is also not the first or only manufacturer to offer additional performance that can be unlocked for a fee, as the Polestar Engineered Optimization program can improve the power supply of both polestar and Volvo models.
Essentially, the software upgrade ‘re -couples’ the engine, the tweaks of throttle response and improves the speed of automatic gear changes for a more aggressive drive, but does so without the risk of canceling the manufacturer’s warranty.
Ready for a subscription -based future
Unlocking a little extra performance is nothing new as there are hundreds of aftermarket companies teasing a few more horses out of a engine if you are willing to cancel your producer guarantee.
That said, we go into a new era of the software-defined vehicle, where a number of upgrades and improvements are now available over a simple over-the-air update.
Tesla allows its customers to take advantage of its very autonomous driving conditions for a fee, for example, while Polestar offers benefits on Polestar 2 models.
Many industry experts I have talked to open admit that offering both digital and physical functions via a subscription presents a lucrative business case for manufacturers who seem to itch loss back from Tepid EV sales and secure future profitability.
But the procedure has not gone well with sectors of the paying public as BMW withdrew strong criticism as it asked its customers to pay an extra fee for features such as heated seats.
The company said it would allow owners to take advantage of the technology only when needed (for example, in the depths of winter), but customers demanded access to a feature that they thought should have been part of the list price.
While unlocking a little extra performance on-demand sounds like fun, some buyers will be on duty to car manufacturers charging a recurring fee for features that would have previously been by default (or a one-time optional payment) on a new vehicle.
It may also be the case that paying a smaller fee each month to unlock a feature becomes more expensive than it was when customers could set it directly, with incremental price increases in Netflix style, making the engine chamber more expensive than it should be.
