Volkswagen is asking for fees to unlock extra horsepower
Volkswagen are comparing this to traditionally paying extra money for a higher trim with more power, and is a concept they are borrowing for Mercedes-Benz who did the same for their EQ models.
New Delhi: With time, carmakers have started finding ways to generate more capital. With an increase in digital presence and telematics in cars, this is becoming more apparent as well. BMW had once attempted to charge for heated seats, though that didn’t ring out well with their customers. Mercedes-Benz still charge for more acceleration in their EQ model, which had initially cost around $1200.
It is the same idea that Volkswagen are borrowing for their electric ID.3 in the United Kingdom. The German brand is selling the ID.3 Pure in the UK market, where the company is charging a little fee for the extra power already built in the car. While the entry level of the Volkswagen ID.3 Pure models i listed as having 165 bhp of peak power on the Volkswagen configurator, it actually comes with only 145 bhp. The customer have to pay an extra fee in order to access full power.
Volkswagen ID.3 extra power pricing
Volkswagen say that this subscription fee is actually like the traditional trim strategies with varied engine tuning. In spite of the boost, OEMs have said that this boost won’t change the range of ID.3. The customers of the Volkswagen ID.3 Pure in UK, for now, have to pay $22.50 each month for the power output and there’s an option for annual fee of $211.41. The customers can also pay a lifetime payment of $878 for the little performance bump.
It makes little sense, of course, for a car that costs $50,00,0 and most likely people will likely pay the price. It makes even less sense for customers who are going to be leasing rather than buying, with small payments. While this isn’t something that might be coming to India as of now, it does show the mentality of the auto industry at the moment. The car makers are finding new methods to generate revenue during a difficult and costly time.
Volkswagen have maintained that this has been a forever practice, getting optimum performance at the top variant. They further noted that customers had an option of a sportier variant with a little premium over their car, without a pre-commitment for power that might be unnecessary to some.