Pay a yearly fee for faster acceleration.
The era of subscription fees and having to pay for features that used to come standard on cars is officially here, and it’s not slowing down. In select regions, Mercedes-Benz will now charge a yearly fee that’ll improve electric car performance and acceleration for owners.
As spotted by DriveTeslaCanada, Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to lock features of several EQ models behind a paywall. The company is calling it the “Acceleration Increase.” Similar to how you can opt to pay for a faster internet speed from your local internet company, now you’ll be able to pay Mercedes $1,200 a year for a quicker electric car or SUV. It’s gross.
According to Mercedes, the Acceleration Increase package will unleash enhanced performance on its EQ electric cars and SUVs. The online purchase will add changes to the motor characteristic curve, torque, and other output adjustments. It’ll make most models go from 0-60 mph about one second faster. So instead of a 6-second time, it’ll be closer to 5.1 seconds.
The yearly subscription fee increases select cars’ performance output by roughly 20 to 24 percent, and owners will notice real-world improvements. The vehicles are readily capable of these speeds, but Mercedes controls it with software, and you’ll have to pay to enjoy it.
Mercedes isn’t the only one doing these micro-transactions. BMW will charge you a monthly subscription for basic car features, and Tesla has a similar acceleration boost to unlock performance. However, Tesla’s is a one-time fee and transferable with the vehicle. Mercedes wants to make this an annual purchase at $1,200 per year.
MB didn’t mention a release date for the performance enhancement, but the website says this option is coming soon. Unfortunately, we have a feeling this isn’t the only thing that’ll be behind a paywall.
via DriveTeslaCanada
