Mercedes-Benz is now charging a subscription that unlocks the full power of some EVs, with the EQE and EQS two examples gaining a $1,200 annual fee.
The subscription, which costs $1,200 before tax we might add, will give acceleration a boost as well as include an "adjustment of the motor characteristic curve, torque, and maximum output". The German carmaker also notes that the tweaks to the motors come irrespective of which Dynamic Select mode drivers choose.
As of right now, the performance improvements are listed as coming to the Mercedes-EQ EQE 350 4MATIC, Mercedes-EQ EQE SUV 350 4MATIC, Mercedes-EQ EQS 450 4MATIC, and Mercedes-EQ EQS SUV 450 4MATIC. The performance increase buyers can expect will depend on the vehicle they own - but Mercedes-Benz says that drivers can expect between 0.8 and 1 whole second to be lopped off their 0-60mph acceleration numbers.
This isn't the first time that a car company has gone the subscription route with a feature, however. BMW famously said that it was going to start charging people to turn on their heated seats. That went down just as you'd expect it to, and so far things aren't going much Mercedes-Benz, either.
Right now it isn't clear if this subscription will roll out internationally, but it's already listed as "coming soon" in the Mercedes-Benz U.S. store. We've reached out to the company to get confirmation either way. It also remains to be seen whether this will expand to other Mercedes-Benz EVs in the future, too.
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