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Pay an annual fee for faster acceleration.
The era of subscription fees and having to pay for features that used to be standard in cars is officially here, and it’s not slowing down. In select regions, Mercedes-Benz will now charge an annual fee that will improve electric car performance and acceleration for owners.
as seen by DrivingTeslaCanada, Mercedes-Benz is preparing to lock several model EQ features behind a paywall. The company calls it the “Acceleration Boost.” Similar to how you can choose to pay for faster internet speed from your local internet company, you will now be able to pay Mercedes $1,200 a year for a faster electric car or SUV. It’s nasty.
According to Mercedes, the Acceleration Boost package will unleash improved performance in its EQ electric cars and SUVs. Online purchase will add changes to engine characteristic curve, torque, and other output settings. It will get most models from 0-60 mph about a second faster. So instead of a time of 6 seconds, it will be closer to 5.1 seconds.
The annual subscription fee increases the performance of select cars by approximately 20 to 24 percent, and owners will notice real-world improvements. The vehicles are easily capable of these speeds, but Mercedes controls it with software and you’ll have to pay to enjoy it.
Mercedes is not the only one doing these microtransactions. BMW will charge you a monthly subscription for the car’s basic features, and Tesla has a similar acceleration boost to unlock performance. However, Tesla is a one-time, transferable fee with the vehicle. Mercedes wants to make this an annual purchase at $1,200 per year.
MB did not mention a release date for the performance improvement, but the website says that this option is coming soon. Unfortunately, we have a feeling this isn’t the only thing that will be behind a paywall.
via DriveTeslaCanada
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