Volkswagen To Charge Subscription Fee To Get More Horsepower This Is Already Built Into The Car. Board Member Admits They'll Make More Money
You'll own nothing and be happy.
German automaker Volkswagen revealed that it will begin charging a subscription fee for drivers who want to gain access to additional horsepower for its electric ID.3 Pro and Pro S in the U.K. - a feature that will cost owners if they wish to access the full capabilities of their vehicle; joining a list of car brands that are levying subscriptions in order to use certain pre-built features.
First reported by Auto Express:
Yes, you read that correctly: while the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro and Pro S are listed on the configurator as producing 201bhp, buyers must pay a subscription fee to reach the car's full potential of 228bhp.
This subscription currently stands at £16.50 per month. That’s almost three times the price of a ‘Standard with Ads’ Netflix subscription – following a one-month free trial – or a total of £165 per year. Owners can also choose to select a lifetime subscription for the grand total of £649, with this being attached to the car rather than the individual, meaning the upgrade will remain if the vehicle is sold on.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen what would happen if an owner were to hack their car – also known as ‘jailbreaking’ – in order to manually switch on the extra power for free. This potentially could invalidate the warranty or even lead to legal action from VW, but Auto Express is waiting to hear back from the firm on this.
In a statement the firm said that -
“Offering more power to customers is nothing new – historically many petrol and diesel vehicles have been offered with engines of the same size, but with the possibility of choosing one with more potency. These traditionally are higher up in the product range, with more specification and a higher list price.
“If customers wish to have an even sportier driving experience, they now have an option to do so, within the life of the vehicle, rather than committing from the outset with a higher initial purchase price. The car is presented on the configurator with [201bhp], with the option made very clear to customers.”
Volkswagen’s latest move builds on the company’s decision to offer subscriptions for other features prebuilt into the ID.3 line. In a 2021 press release, the company said debuted the “Volkswagen AutoAbo subscription model in Germany.” “Customers can take out a monthly subscription for the best-selling all-electric ID.3 and ID.4 models – the ID.3 costs from EUR 499.”
Klaus Zellmer, Board Member for Sales and Marketing at Volkswagen, claimed people increasingly don’t want to own their own car and by 2030 this will have greatly increased.
“A growing number of people don’t want to own a vehicle permanently, but would like the exclusive use of one for a defined period. The Volkswagen AutoAbo is a flexible new subscription offering that is mid-way between leasing and car sharing. We estimate that, by 2030, around 20 percent of our revenue could come from subscriptions and other short-term mobility offerings.”
The company also said that it would begin “offering online leasing and online sales, initially for models from the ID. family but then also for new and used cars with any drive system. Volkswagen admitted this would make the company more money. “In this way, the car maker is seeking to reach a larger customer base and generate additional revenue,” the company wrote.
“We are responding to changes in customers’ purchasing behaviour and enabling them to conclude contracts at a dealer or online. In both cases, we need a strong online presence coupled with the customer proximity and local presence provided by our dealers. A strong brand is based on a promise and trust.”
To close out 2024, The WinePress highlighted how Volkswagen’s systems were hacked and owners’ private and personal data was leaked online in a massive data breach, affecting 800,000 EV owners, which included precise location data for 460,000 vehicles made by VW, Seat and Audi. The data was accessed from the Amazon cloud storage platform.
Modern vehicles collect a myriad of personal data. As previously reported, citing the fine print from all major name brands, anything from “driver’s license number, national or state identification number, citizenship status, immigration status, race, national origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, sexual activity, precise geolocation, health diagnosis data, and genetic information;” and other manufacturers go so far as to collect “consumer’s preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes.”
Car Scoops notes that Volkswagen is not the only car company doing the subscription thing.
Obviously, the VW ID.3 is far from the only one playing the subscription game. This isn’t even the only subscription available from the German brand. It’ll also sell customers ambient lighting, navigation, voice control, and even heated seats via subscription
And it’s hardly alone. BMW, Mercedes, and Tesla all offer similar unlocks, though when it comes to performance, most rivals deliver more value per dollar.
Ford offers 100 lb-ft (135 Nm) of torque for $995, Polestar 68 more horsepower for $1,195, and Mercedes 60-110 hp for $1,200. Even gas-burning tunes from the factory offer more power per dollar than Volkswagen for doing little more than changing some code. Call me cynical, but that’s not shocking from what seems like the world’s least passionate automaker.
Indeed. In 2023, The WP noted how Mercedes-Benz began charging a subscription fee for more horsepower. They began offering what they call “Acceleration On-Demand Upgrade,” reports The Fast Lane Car. To purchase and download the amped-up performance, users can access it the Mercedes Me Connect Store online, and is installed digitally to the car. Prices ranged anywhere from $60 a month to $2,950 for the lifetime of the car. Edmunds says that Mercedes is set to “make a killing off selling what used to simply be a factory-installed optional extra for a monthly fee.”
BMW started charging over $100 to get access to high beams in the U.K.
BMW also started charging a subscription for heated steering wheels and seats, though backed off on this particular subscription after receiving a lot of backlash on social media.
Emdunds forecast in 2023 that subscription-based automobiling is the way of the future.
Subscriptions like this are set to become the norm in the auto industry. Automakers have routinely been able to charge for both software and hardware features in addition to the already considerable cost of their vehicles without any real backlash from consumers.
It’s unfortunate buyers are nickel-and-dimed over features that should be available upon delivery of the vehicle, and this is unlikely to change without repercussions for automakers.
Kelly Blue Book has a similar forecast, noting that this trend was a long time coming and proves potentially beneficial for manufacturers on their end, but does not help the consumer as much as brands would have the customer believe. They add that this could also signal the end of car ownership.
But it could also end the idea of ever paying off your car.
Early surveys show that buyers don’t consider that a worthwhile trade. In a recent Cox Automotive survey, only a quarter of car shoppers said they would pay subscription fees.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
You’ll own nothing and be happy. The crooks at Volkswagen flat-out admitted it: they are phasing out ownership, and even listed the infamous year this will be accomplished; and it will obviously only benefit them and make them richer. We already knew this, but to have the moxie to brag about it shows how arrogant these people are and how they don’t care, and perhaps are getting secret kickbacks under the table for conforming to the central banking agenda.
It’s really just usury on steroids. For generations the world has adopted this usury-crazed economy; usury upon usury upon usury; robbing Peter to pay Paul, to then pay John, to then pay James, to then pay Judas who runs off with the bag!
Ezekiel 22:12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.
Proverbs 28:8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
Remember how we were sold the ruse that going electric was going to save the environment, is more green and sustainable, and would save consumers more money in the long term? Obviously that was a comical lie that had no truth to it. No, it was and is about money: Volkswagen admitted to it. They, like all these other brands across multiple sectors - vehicles, housing, electronics and appliances, furniture, clothing, food subscriptions, entertainment, etc. - continue to put out cheap junk with lower and lower quality incrementally every year; cutting corners at every possible avenue, while continuing to raise the price year over year. It’s always about money.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Yup. They have us paying subscription services for things we physically own. That will tie into the mark of the beast system, because we won't be able to afford anything if we don't have UBI eventually (in my opinion). Then you get paid based on your social credit score, etc. Mark of the beast. I wonder if God is intervening and not allowing it, as they wanted it a long time ago...
Here's another big example: Nintendo Switch 2 cartridges - they are the first cartridges to not include the GAME... They just act as a digital download from a server that will one day go down.
Nintendo, incentivezed by Globalists investors has a End License User Agreement on the system itself (like with our new smartphones) literally telling people that the system itself can be bricked and rendered unusable by Nintendo for any reason. So you not only do you not own the games, but you don't own the system either. $450 down the drain if they brick your console.
So, when someone purchases a physical Switch 2 game for like, ~$70 on average, they're actually just getting a box and a piece of plastic that can't be used without Internet, and will one day be a decoration containg no game when the server goes down.
Meanwhile, OG Nintendo/NES games have to be almost 40 years old now, but still work, and will outlive us because of their solid, time-proof construction. No Internet connection required, no DLC, just a fat cartridge with an actual game inside.
Saw an ad on You tube basically saying if you don’t own your home, you can buy a certain ETF that entitle one to a shares of one. Globalist want us to be happy beggars- that’s a message one should never take lightly.