JOURNAL ARTICLE

Car buyers have to pay extra to unlock horsepower on Volkswagen vehicles—an 'uphill battle' subscription model that has drawn the ire of customers.

  • Published In: Fortune.com, 2025. P. N.PAG 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Rogelberg, Sasha 3 of 3

Abstract

The article discusses consumer concerns regarding the increasing trend of subscription-based features in automobiles, specifically highlighting Volkswagen's new "power-on-demand" option for its ID.3 vehicles. This feature allows customers to pay £16.50 ($22.50) per month to unlock an additional 20 horsepower, with alternative payment options available. Despite some backlash and a decline in consumer willingness to pay for car-connected services, analysts suggest that as vehicles become more software-driven, subscription features may become more common. The challenge for automakers lies in changing consumer perceptions about paying for features that are perceived to be already included in the vehicle purchase. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Fortune.com. 2025/08, pN.PAG
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Physics
  • Publication Date:2025
  • Accession Number:187438672
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