Mercedes to offer more power by subscription

[Fastdruid]

Seems Mercedes have also decided follow BMW and go the way of the subscription.

US based (for now, or at least I can't find mention of it in the UK/Europe) but it's pretty despicable.

https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/23/23474969/merce...
https://www.thedrive.com/news/mercedes-makes-bette...
https://shop.mbusa.com/en-us/connect/pdp/Accelerat...

[Mr-B]

So they are going to cripple the hardware (that you have already paid for in the screen price) unless you pay more? Taking the piss. Hope buyers vote with their wallet.

[CheesecakeRunner]

Mr-B said:

So they are going to cripple the hardware (that you have already paid for in the screen price)

But you didn’t pay for it. That’s the point.

[Wills2]

Despicable?

[Fastdruid]

Wills2 said:

Despicable?

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/despicable

Cambrige Dictionary said:

Very unpleasant or bad, causing strong feelings of dislike

Yep, pretty much sums it up.

[abzmike]

How is that different to paying for a remap, except you do it online?

[Fastdruid]

abzmike said:

How is that different to paying for a remap, except you do it online?

That you have to keep paying every year?

[Evolved]

CheesecakeRunner said:

Mr-B said:

So they are going to cripple the hardware (that you have already paid for in the screen price)

But you didn’t pay for it. That’s the point.

You do. This is a software restriction.

[CheesecakeRunner]

Evolved said:

CheesecakeRunner said:

Mr-B said:

So they are going to cripple the hardware (that you have already paid for in the screen price)

But you didn’t pay for it. That’s the point.

You do. This is a software restriction.

No you didn’t. You paid for a car with a certain level of performance and specification of equipment. Whether that performance and equipment is delivered by software or hardware is immaterial.

As another poster above said, it’s like paying for a remap. It’s no different from Mercedes supplying the same 2 litre petrol engine in various states of tune that nobody bats an eyelid at. In fact, it’s exactly paying for a remap (or the EV equivalent) in this case.

[jeremyc]

CheesecakeRunner said:

As another poster above said, it’s like paying for a remap. It’s no different from Mercedes supplying the same 2 litre petrol engine in various states of tune that nobody bats an eyelid at. In fact, it’s exactly paying for a remap (or the EV equivalent) in this case.

Not quite: you have to pay each year or your "remap" is reversed and you are back to standard performance.

[abzmike]

Fastdruid said:

abzmike said:

How is that different to paying for a remap, except you do it online?

That you have to keep paying every year?

Presumably the cost will be set to make it commercially attractive. Maybe a new owner won’t want it? All about choice, not restriction.

[Monkeylegend]

At least Mercedes or any other manufacturer who does this will be able to deny knowledge of a "remap" in the event of a warranty claim.

But paying £100 per month, every month, to gain extra performance, at the same time as legislation requiring speed limiters to be fitted to all new cars to stop you exceeding any speed limit, and which no doubt will not be able to be over ridden some time in the not too distant future, in addition to the onslaught of 20mph speed limits, seems a bit of a pointless exercise, and a bit of a piss take by Mercedes.

Be good for down the pub though.

[CrgT16]

Not for me.. I won’t pay for any subscription of that type. Maybe a lot of people will but not me. Not worth it and there will other alternatives without a subscription model.

I think the subscription model is very good for the companies but not the customer. It’s not about choice, it’s about profit. If it was choice why not increase the power for free as the physical capability is already there.

Pure profit.

[Hub]

I saw this on the BBC site, only in the US for now. I really hope this backfires badly though. It's surely pointless as a subscription: the EVs aren't that slow to start with, it's extortionate, and there aren't any obvious bragging rights without any way to tell, and how often would you really need the extra oomph. £1,000 a year for one second off the 0-60...

[CraigyMc]

Monkeylegend said:

At least Mercedes or any other manufacturer who does this will be able to deny knowledge of a "remap" in the event of a warranty claim.

But paying £100 per month, every month, to gain extra performance, at the same time as legislation requiring speed limiters to be fitted to all new cars to stop you exceeding any speed limit, and which no doubt will not be able to be over ridden some time in the not too distant future, in addition to the onslaught of 20mph speed limits, seems a bit of a pointless exercise, and a bit of a piss take by Mercedes.

Be good for down the pub though.

This is in the USA where there is no speed limiter law.

[Monkeylegend]

CraigyMc said:

Monkeylegend said:

At least Mercedes or any other manufacturer who does this will be able to deny knowledge of a "remap" in the event of a warranty claim.

But paying £100 per month, every month, to gain extra performance, at the same time as legislation requiring speed limiters to be fitted to all new cars to stop you exceeding any speed limit, and which no doubt will not be able to be over ridden some time in the not too distant future, in addition to the onslaught of 20mph speed limits, seems a bit of a pointless exercise, and a bit of a piss take by Mercedes.

Be good for down the pub though.

This is in the USA where there is no speed limiter law.

I would be surprised if the subscription model is not extended outside the USA at sometime in the not too distant future.

[2Btoo]

I wonder how hard it will be to 'jailbreak' this? i.e. Whether a third-party company would be able to offer this service on such a car without needing to go via Mercedes.

[Mr E]

Tesla have offered a performance upgrade via software for some time now. It’s a single cost, not a subscription. I wonder if it transfers to a new owner, or if tesla seize the opportunity to sell a SW change twice…

[Fastdruid]

2Btoo said:

I wonder how hard it will be to 'jailbreak' this? i.e. Whether a third-party company would be able to offer this service on such a car without needing to go via Mercedes.

I'm sure it would be but at the cost of the warranty and with the connectivity of modern cars its going to be harder than "remapping" an ICE (which itself was fraught with risks if you then needed to rely on the warranty).

That said, personally I would rather pay a "tuner" $1000 to jailbreak it than pay Mercedes.

Similar in fact to what I did with our Golf, original owner hadn't bought the App Connect option. To go via VW was (IIRC) £230 just to enable it. Instead I took it to a specialist who enabled everything that could be enabled for £100.

[RossP]

Mr E said:

Tesla have offered a performance upgrade via software for some time now. It’s a single cost, not a subscription. I wonder if it transfers to a new owner, or if tesla seize the opportunity to sell a SW change twice…

I believe that the upgrade stays with the car. Except if you trade it in to Tesla who remove it like they do with the stupid non-working ridiculously expensive "Full Self Driving".