Audi Basic HVAC "Sync" Function Paywalled: Difference between revisions

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|Description=Audi charges $758 for an HVAC “Sync” button, which is physically present within the vehicle, but disabled until a payment is made.

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Audi charges $758 for an HVAC “Sync” button, which is physically present within the vehicle, but disabled until a payment is made. Reminders are displayed when the button is pressed before payment.

==Background==

~~{{Ph-I-B}}~~

Audi is an automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles, which is based in Germany. Audi is a subsidiary company of Volkswagen.

==~~[Incident]~~==

Historically, if a vehicle owner opts out of purchasing a specific feature or function within the vehicle, any buttons related to the feature would be replaced with blank pieces of plastic ("blank buttons").<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nagaraj |first=Rahul |date=5 Apr 2022 |title=Audi EV owner finds paywalled HVAC function |url=https://www.team-bhp.com/news/audi-ev-owner-finds-paywalled-hvac-function#:~:text=Historically%2C%20cars%20with,for%20the%20same. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=Team-BHP}}</ref> Pressing these blank buttons would not trigger any functions or mechanisms within the vehicle.

~~{{Ph~~-I-I}}

~~===[Company]'s response===~~

~~{{Ph-I-ComR}}~~

However, Features on Demand (FoD) is becoming increasingly popular among car manufacturers. FoD features are subscription-type features, meaning they can only be enabled with a subscription.

==~~Lawsuit~~==

==Incident==

An owner of an Audi Q4 E-Tron opted out of paying for tri-zone climate control, which is an optional add-on in regions outside of the U.S. and U.K., priced at $758.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stumpf |first=Rob |date=1 Apr 2022 |title=Audi Owner Finds Basic HVAC Function Paywalled After Pressing the Button for It |url=https://www.thedrive.com/news/44967/audi-owner-finds-basic-hvac-function-paywalled-after-pressing-the-button-for-it#:~:text=In%20Denmark%2C%20where%20this%20particular%20owner%20told%20us%20they%E2%80%99re%20based%2C%20the%20add%2Don%20costs%20around%20$758%20(5%2C114%20Kroner).%20The%20owner%20acknowledged%20that%20they%20chose%20against%20purchasing%20it%20but%20didn%E2%80%99t%20expect%20pressing%20the%20button%20to%20display%20a%20message. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=The Drive}}</ref> However, the HVAC(Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) “Sync” button was still physically present within the vehicle. Upon pressing the button, a message would appear on the infotainment screen, stating “the function has not been purchased.”<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Apr 2022 |title=Audi Driver Horrified After Basic Functionality Hidden Behind Paywall |url=https://www.thedrive.com/news/44967/audi-owner-finds-basic-hvac-function-paywalled-after-pressing-the-button-for-it#:~:text=In%20Denmark%2C%20where%20this%20particular%20owner%20told%20us%20they%E2%80%99re%20based%2C%20the%20add%2Don%20costs%20around%20$758%20(5%2C114%20Kroner).%20The%20owner%20acknowledged%20that%20they%20chose%20against%20purchasing%20it%20but%20didn%E2%80%99t%20expect%20pressing%20the%20button%20to%20display%20a%20message. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=CarBuzz}}</ref> The lack of a blank button, and message reminding the user of the unpaid feature has caused speculation on whether Audi was planning to introduce FoD features or not.

===Audi's Response===

While not explicitly responding to the incident, Oliver Hoffman, the head of the Technical Development division at the time, has suggested that FoD will appear more within the future, "With our next generation of electronic architecture, we will bring more offers to 'function on demand,' and you will see year by year we will bring new functions in the cars…A few years ago, there were ideas to generate more revenue on digitalization functions than by selling cars."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neves |first=Jarryd |date=5 Nov 2023 |title=Audi Going Big With On-Demand Subscription Features |url=https://carbuzz.com/news/audi-going-big-with-on-demand-subscription-features-from-2024/#:~:text=This%20is%20according%20to%20Oliver,A4%2C%20A5%2C%20and%20Q5. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=CarBuzz}}</ref> Audi insists that the decision to pivot towards FoD was in response to consumer demand.

==Consumer response==

~~{{Ph-I-ConR}}~~

Some users on Reddit, in direct response to the incident, were fearful and frustrated about the possible future of the automotive industry. Many believed this would result in subscriptions being required to access most functions, imagining a reality where many of even the most basic features are locked behind paywalls.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 Apr 2022 |title=A dashboard button leads to a Reddit reckoning about over-the-air car software |url=https://thenextweb.com/news/a-blank-hvac-button-reveals-a-deeper-fear-about-ota-car-software#:~:text=A%20portal%20to,Raid%20Shadow%20Legends. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=The Next Web}}</ref>

Others were more generally opposed features that are only available through subscriptions. In a survey conducted by the Cox Automotive, 58% of respondents stated that FoD, atleast initially, would be "too expensive," and 69% stated that if the features were only available via subscription, that they'd "shop elsewhere."<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 May 2023 |title=Selling Subscription-based Vehicle Features Will Challenge Automakers in Unexpected Ways |url=https://www.coxautoinc.com/market-insights/selling-subscription-based-vehicle-features-will-challenge-automakers-in-unexpected-ways/#:~:text=The%20study%20suggests,the%20research%20shows. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=Cox Automotive}}</ref> However, only 21% were previously aware of FoD, and 65% believe that if free-trials for subscriptions were provided, they'd be more likely to consider a brand.

==References==

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |Description=Audi charges $758 for an HVAC “Sync” button, which is physically present within the vehicle, but disabled until a payment is made.
 }}
-{{Ph-I-Int}}
+{{StubNotice}}
+Audi charges $758 for an HVAC “Sync” button, which is physically present within the vehicle, but disabled until a payment is made. Reminders are displayed when the button is pressed before payment.
 ==Background==
-{{Ph-I-B}}
+Audi is an automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles, which is based in Germany. Audi is a subsidiary company of Volkswagen.
-==[Incident]==
+Historically, if a vehicle owner opts out of purchasing a specific feature or function within the vehicle, any buttons related to the feature would be replaced with blank pieces of plastic ("blank buttons").<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nagaraj |first=Rahul |date=5 Apr 2022 |title=Audi EV owner finds paywalled HVAC function |url=https://www.team-bhp.com/news/audi-ev-owner-finds-paywalled-hvac-function#:~:text=Historically%2C%20cars%20with,for%20the%20same. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=Team-BHP}}</ref> Pressing these blank buttons would not trigger any functions or mechanisms within the vehicle.
-{{Ph-I-I}}
-===[Company]'s response===
-{{Ph-I-ComR}}
+However, Features on Demand (FoD) is becoming increasingly popular among car manufacturers. FoD features are subscription-type features, meaning they can only be enabled with a subscription.
-==Lawsuit==
+==Incident==
-{{Ph-I-L}}
+An owner of an Audi Q4 E-Tron opted out of paying for tri-zone climate control, which is an optional add-on in regions outside of the U.S. and U.K., priced at $758.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stumpf |first=Rob |date=1 Apr 2022 |title=Audi Owner Finds Basic HVAC Function Paywalled After Pressing the Button for It |url=https://www.thedrive.com/news/44967/audi-owner-finds-basic-hvac-function-paywalled-after-pressing-the-button-for-it#:~:text=In%20Denmark%2C%20where%20this%20particular%20owner%20told%20us%20they%E2%80%99re%20based%2C%20the%20add%2Don%20costs%20around%20$758%20(5%2C114%20Kroner).%20The%20owner%20acknowledged%20that%20they%20chose%20against%20purchasing%20it%20but%20didn%E2%80%99t%20expect%20pressing%20the%20button%20to%20display%20a%20message. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=The Drive}}</ref> However, the HVAC(Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) “Sync” button was still physically present within the vehicle. Upon pressing the button, a message would appear on the infotainment screen, stating “the function has not been purchased.”<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Apr 2022 |title=Audi Driver Horrified After Basic Functionality Hidden Behind Paywall |url=https://www.thedrive.com/news/44967/audi-owner-finds-basic-hvac-function-paywalled-after-pressing-the-button-for-it#:~:text=In%20Denmark%2C%20where%20this%20particular%20owner%20told%20us%20they%E2%80%99re%20based%2C%20the%20add%2Don%20costs%20around%20$758%20(5%2C114%20Kroner).%20The%20owner%20acknowledged%20that%20they%20chose%20against%20purchasing%20it%20but%20didn%E2%80%99t%20expect%20pressing%20the%20button%20to%20display%20a%20message. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=CarBuzz}}</ref> The lack of a blank button, and message reminding the user of the unpaid feature has caused speculation on whether Audi was planning to introduce FoD features or not.
+===Audi's Response===
+While not explicitly responding to the incident, Oliver Hoffman, the head of the Technical Development division at the time, has suggested that FoD will appear more within the future, "With our next generation of electronic architecture, we will bring more offers to 'function on demand,' and you will see year by year we will bring new functions in the cars…A few years ago, there were ideas to generate more revenue on digitalization functions than by selling cars."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neves |first=Jarryd |date=5 Nov 2023 |title=Audi Going Big With On-Demand Subscription Features |url=https://carbuzz.com/news/audi-going-big-with-on-demand-subscription-features-from-2024/#:~:text=This%20is%20according%20to%20Oliver,A4%2C%20A5%2C%20and%20Q5. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=CarBuzz}}</ref> Audi insists that the decision to pivot towards FoD was in response to consumer demand.
 ==Consumer response==
-{{Ph-I-ConR}}
+Some users on Reddit, in direct response to the incident, were fearful and frustrated about the possible future of the automotive industry. Many believed this would result in subscriptions being required to access most functions, imagining a reality where many of even the most basic features are locked behind paywalls.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 Apr 2022 |title=A dashboard button leads to a Reddit reckoning about over-the-air car software |url=https://thenextweb.com/news/a-blank-hvac-button-reveals-a-deeper-fear-about-ota-car-software#:~:text=A%20portal%20to,Raid%20Shadow%20Legends. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=The Next Web}}</ref>
+Others were more generally opposed features that are only available through subscriptions. In a survey conducted by the Cox Automotive, 58% of respondents stated that FoD, atleast initially, would be "too expensive," and 69% stated that if the features were only available via subscription, that they'd "shop elsewhere."<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 May 2023 |title=Selling Subscription-based Vehicle Features Will Challenge Automakers in Unexpected Ways |url=https://www.coxautoinc.com/market-insights/selling-subscription-based-vehicle-features-will-challenge-automakers-in-unexpected-ways/#:~:text=The%20study%20suggests,the%20research%20shows. |access-date=21 Aug 2025 |website=Cox Automotive}}</ref> However, only 21% were previously aware of FoD, and 65% believe that if free-trials for subscriptions were provided, they'd be more likely to consider a brand.
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
 {{Ph-I-C}}