Volkswagen locks horsepower behind paid subscription: Difference between revisions
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|Description=The ID.3 ships with a 228 bhp engine but can only utilize up to 201 bhp of power unless the user pays a one-time fee or buys a subscription. | |Description=The ID.3 ships with a 228 bhp engine but can only utilize up to 201 bhp of power unless the user pays a one-time fee or buys a subscription. | ||
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In the U.K., '''[[Volkswagen]]''' equips the '''ID.3''' with a 228bhp engine, then requires customers to pay a subscription to unlock the full performance of the vehicle they've already purchased.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Alaniz |first=Anthony |date=17 Aug 2025 |title=Volkswagen Is Locking Horsepower Behind a Paywall |url=https://www.motor1.com/news/769158/volkswagen-horsepower-subscription-service-paywall/ |archive-url=https:// | In the U.K., '''[[Volkswagen]]''' equips the '''ID.3''' with a 228bhp engine, then requires customers to pay a subscription to unlock the full performance of the vehicle they've already purchased.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Alaniz |first=Anthony |date=17 Aug 2025 |title=Volkswagen Is Locking Horsepower Behind a Paywall |url=https://www.motor1.com/news/769158/volkswagen-horsepower-subscription-service-paywall/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250830203418/https://www.motor1.com/news/769158/volkswagen-horsepower-subscription-service-paywall/ |archive-date=30 Aug 2025|access-date=19 Aug 2025 |website=motor1.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Jervis |first=Tom |date=14 Aug 2025 |title=Forget Netflix, Volkswagen locks horsepower behind paid subscription |url=https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/367566/forget-netflix-volkswagen-locks-horsepower-behind-paid-subscription |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260105033944/https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/367566/forget-netflix-volkswagen-locks-horsepower-behind-paid-subscription |archive-date=5 Jan 2026|access-date=19 Aug 2025 |website=Auto Express}}</ref> | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Volkswagen follows the trend of modern car manufacturers: selling vehicles with the hardware capabilities to enable certain functionalities, then controlling access to said features by software-locking them behind a paywall. This marks a shift from how cars have worked since their invention, as they're no longer independent devices, requiring constant connection to the manufacturer's servers. This change isn't driven by necessity but rather represents a new business model prioritizing: | Volkswagen follows the trend of modern car manufacturers: selling vehicles with the hardware capabilities to enable certain functionalities, then controlling access to said features by software-locking them behind a [[Pay-walling|paywall]]. This marks a shift from how cars have worked since their invention, as they're no longer independent devices, [[Forced cloud|requiring constant connection]] to the manufacturer's servers. This change isn't driven by necessity but rather represents a new business model prioritizing: | ||
*Recurring revenue through [[Subscription service|subscription services]] | *Recurring revenue through [[Subscription service|subscription services]] | ||
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*[[Mazda remote-start subscription]] | *[[Mazda remote-start subscription]] | ||
*[[BMW's heated seat subscription]] | *[[BMW's heated seat subscription]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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[[Category:Volkswagen]] | [[Category:Volkswagen]] | ||
[[Category:Volkswagen ID.3]] | [[Category:Volkswagen ID.3]] | ||
[[Category:Service Siphoning]] | |||