Volkswagen wants drivers to pay fees to unlock horsepower already built into cars

Automakers have been finding new ways of generating revenue. With the increased penetration of digitalisation and telematics in modern vehicles, this trend is growing. Volkswagen has opted for this strategy in the UK. The German auto giant is selling the Volkswagen ID.3 Pure in the UK market, where the company is charging an extra fee to the customers to unlock more horsepower that is already built into the cars.

The entry-level Volkswagen ID.3 Pure models are listed as having 165 bhp peak power on Volkswagen's configurator, but actually have just 145 bhp. In order to use the full power output of the vehicle, the customers have to pay an extra fee. In a nutshell, Volkswagen is charging customers more to give their cars the power they already have.

Volkswagen says that this subscription fee mirrors traditional trim strategies with varied engine tuning. Also, despite this small boost, the OEM says the overall range of the ID.3 will not change. The customers of the Volkswagen ID.3 Pure EV in the UK will have to shell out an additional $22.50 per month for this power output unlocking. The customers can skip the monthly hassle and opt for a one-time lifetime payment of $878, which is actually a lot of cash for a modest performance bump.

Volkswagen defends additional chargers

Volkswagen has compared this strategy to traditional engine lineups, where the same displacement could be offered in multiple states of tune at different price points. “Offering more power to customers is nothing new… These traditionally are higher up in the product range, with more specifications and a higher list price. If customers wish to have an even sportier driving experience, they now have an option to do so, within the life of the vehicle, rather than committing from the outset with a higher initial purchase price. The car is presented on the configurator with [201bhp], with the option made very clear to customers," the company has stated to AutoExpress.

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