Customers of Mercedes-Benz EQ models will soon have to pay an additional $1200 (Approx – Rs 1 lakh) per year to unlock the full performance potential of their vehicles.
According to a report in The Drive, the German luxury car brand will soon be introducing an "Acceleration Increase" subscription service for all its EQ models in the United States.
All EQ models have access to the "Acceleration Increase" subscription service if you visit Mercedes' online store. Mercedes claims that the yearly fee boosts the car's maximum horsepower and torque as well as its overall performance. The time it takes to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour is stated to decrease by 0.8 to 1.0 seconds, and the general characteristics of the electric motors are also said to change. By selecting the Dynamic drive mode, you can access the additional performance.
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Reports state that the power output of the EQE 350 4MATIC & EQE SUV 350 4MATIC will increase from 288 BHP to 349 BHP, while the 0-60 mph time drops by 0.9 seconds on the sedan & by 1.0 second on the SUV. Similarly, the EQS 450 4MATIC & EQS SUV 4MATIC will also get a boost in power from 355 BHP to 443 BHP. 0-60 mph of the sedan drops from 5.3 to 4.5 seconds, while the SUV's acceleration time comes down from 5.8 to 4.9 seconds.
This is also a hint of things to come as EVs and smart cars usher in the subscription era. More and more features will be able to be turned on or off by automakers, allowing them to charge customers more.
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In July 2022, BMW made its customers pay a subscription fee for heated seats and camera recordings even though the cars already came fitted with those features. The move was followed by a backlash from the customers forcing the Bavarian automaker to roll back the decision.