Volkswagen Would Like You To Pay A Subscription Fee For Horsepower
Volkswagen has started testing a subscription for extra horsepower on the ID.3 in the United Kingdom—a practice which should be met with immaculate rebuke.
Key Points
- Volkswagen is testing a subscription model in the U.K. that locks 27 horsepower and additional torque on the ID.3 behind a $22 monthly fee or an $880 one-time payment.
- The hatchback is already registered at the full 228 hp for insurance purposes, meaning owners may pay premiums on performance they can’t actually access without unlocking it.
- This move follows similar pay-to-unlock experiments from BMW and Mercedes, signaling a broader industry push to turn built-in vehicle features into ongoing revenue streams.
On paper, the compact EV makes 228 horsepower—but on the road, owners only get 201 unless they pay Volkswagen $22 a month to unlock the rest, or about $880 as a one-time fee. VW UK even assuredly says the horsepower increase won't affect range—see, just get it, bro.
Once upon a time, you could buy a car for $42,000 and all the horsepower was included; if you wanted anything extra, you had to go and get it yourself. Welcome to the age of software-defined vehicles, where the batteries are most definitely included, but almost everything else is a pay-per-use option.
To make matters even more cringe, Auto Express reports the car is registered by default at the higher 228-hp figure, so everyone pays inflated insurance premiums for power they don't even have unless they pay Volkswagen's fee. The upgrade bumps torque, too, from 195 to 228 lb-ft.
So, for those of you keeping score at home: VW sells a car with a 228 hp motor, but VW downgrades the motor and offers to charge the owner an additional fee to return it to factory spec. This is spreadsheet jockeying at its finest.
The upgrade will be offered across the ID.3 lineup, excluding the GTX. That version makes 320 horsepower but costs more than $21,000 over the standard car. At roughly $63,000, it’s well into Golf R money, and that’s before options.
Subscriptions are becoming a very real part of the automaker strategy playbook. Outside of BMW's abandoned heated seat rentals, domestically, both Ford and GM charge subscription fees for their advanced driver-assistance features, and other automakers charge similar fees for connected services or app-based features like remote start.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, went over the wall during the Rolex 24, and wrenched in the intense IndyCar paddock.
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Subscription fees for in-built functionality immediately take all the products of the entire brand off my selection list. Perhaps this tactic works in Europe, but not in the U.S. with my family.
Short sided and stupid. I'm sure some VP got a bonus for that brilliant idea.