We have to deal with subscriptions in every part of our lives; the only thing we can do is avoid them. There are now some changes that make it a little harder to own Volkswagen‘s smallest electric vehicle, the ID.3. We’re used to hearing about subscriptions for better performance and comfort on high-end cars. Still, VW is trying the most customer-unfriendly policies of Mercedes-Benz and BMW while getting an extra 27 horsepower for the ID.3 for $22.30 a month. Instead, owners can pay $878 to unlock that power for good for as long as the car exists. This story comes from AutoExpress, which is not good for a number of reasons. To begin with, the ID.3 isn’t exactly cheap it starts at $41,770 but it’s also not a Mercedes EQE. Second, the report says that the car is registered at 228 horsepower stock, even if owners only get 201 horsepower before subscribing. This means that insurance rates are affected. You are, in effect, paying more for your insurance because of the power of your car. The only way to stop paying more to Volkswagen every month is to keep paying them more. When you pay this monthly fee, the torque goes from 195 lb-ft to 228 lb-ft. Volkswagen says the extra power doesn’t change the range, so that’s one thing. The extra software upgrade can be added to any ID.3 trim level except for the fast GTX model, which costs $21,600 more and has about 320 horsepower. That’s about $63,000 for Volkswagen’s smallest electric vehicle! You also believed the Golf R was too expensive. My frustration with its unavailability in the US is easing as I learn more about it. This is when our best hope is that a huge public protest will prompt VW to give in. On this side of the pond, BMW‘s rules about heated seats have worked well. The retractions are only temporary, though, because automakers really want to wait for software-locking to become common so they can get away with everything.
