Mercedes-Benz To Trial Accelerated Speeds As Subscribers-Only Feature

Most people would be familiar with the concept of a subscription model for online services, and are probably even tied up in more than one. From Netflix to Spotify and down to YouTube, there’s no shortage of internet services that will ask for a monthly fee to access premium content. 

With that being said, it’s still relatively obscure for automotive manufacturers to head down that route. Nevertheless, Mercedes-Benz is about to trial a new subscription model that will hide top speeds behind paywalls.
 
The new feature is slated for US and Canadian citizens first and will affect the sedan and SUV versions of Mercedes’ EQE and EQS electric cars.
 
Depending on the model, the move will reduce the EV’s 0-60 mph time by 0.8-1.0 seconds. As such, the EQS450 sedan will increase its acceleration range from 4.5 seconds to 5.3 seconds, and the EQ350 SUV will take a whole extra second to reach its top speed.
 
This would also mean those willing to pay the annual fee will receive a 20-24 percent power upgrade. Essentially, this would boost its 288 hp to 349 hp for the EQE350 and increase the EQS450 from 355 hp to 443 hp. In addition, the vehicles will also receive increased torque for more powerful acceleration.
 
So, how much will all of this cost? An annual fee of US$1,200. And with all the other maintenance fees a car comes with, it may not be something people will be too pleased with.
 
Incidentally, Mercedes isn’t the first automotive brand to do this. Earlier this year, BMW had customers paying a monthly subscription for seat warmers, and Toyota has an $8-a-month fee for its fobs.
 
 
 
[via Inverse and Carscoops, cover image via Mercedes-Benz]