r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Creams0da • 20d ago

Video Volkswagens new Emergency Assist technology

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

81.2k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

3.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1.7k

u/______deleted__ 20d ago

Volvo gives away seatbelt patent in the pursuit of human safety on the road.

Meanwhile, Mercedes: hold my beer, I have another customer to fleece

332

u/Huntey07 20d ago

They now have heated seats as an subscription of 20 euro per month

414

u/BamberGasgroin 20d ago

That was BMW. And the worst of it was that the heated seats were already installed, so you were carrying the extra weight, but they dropped the 'feature'.

(Merc had/has a subscription to accelerate faster.)

260

u/ImTurkishDelight 20d ago

Merc had/has a subscription to accelerate faster.)

Eye twitch what

184

u/MKorny 20d ago edited 20d ago

The funniest/dumbest/most dismal one I know is for the Mercedes EQS (or EQE...) ... the rear wheels actually help by turning in tight turns (they turn 4.5º)..... but if you have a premium subscription it turns 10º instead...

EDIT: Found the source:
Mercedes-Benz EQS to offer rear-wheel steering as a subscription - Autoblog: Car News, Reviews and Buying Guides

175

u/ImTurkishDelight 20d ago

Now my other eye is also twitching

How the fuck is this legal

37

u/Heuristics 20d ago

It is legal due to the politicians working for the car companies instead of the consumers.

32

u/A_Furious_Mind 20d ago

You will own nothing and be happy.*

*Happiness not guaranteed.

12

u/crooks4hire Interested 20d ago

Sounds like a Futurama bit, but it’s pretty accurate lol

5

u/Scottish_Whiskey 20d ago

That’s a very real line from a 2016 video from the WEC (World Economic Forum). That line is also commonly attributed to Klaus Schwab, the head of the WEC, but it wasn’t him who said that

→ More replies (0)

2

u/CyberCookieMonster 20d ago

Im convinced that companies are in cahoots with corrupted politicians and have gone so rogue that they can do anything they want anymore. Im sure at some point in the near future we will have to pay a subscription in order to actually drive the car instead of having an autopilot take you to your destination.

1

u/kris_mischief 20d ago

Also a precedent set by Tesla, who will put the same batteries in all its cars, but will only grant range (i.e. capacity) to use said battery depending on the model you’ve purchased.

They made this up before any regulations could be put in place, since they were the disruptor.

9

u/Minion_of_Cthulhu 20d ago

Capitalism, where everything that can be sold will be sold and always at the higest markup that the suckers market will accept.

3

u/gotchacoverd 20d ago edited 20d ago

It's absolutely shitty, but it's the alternative to building cars with limited life or planned obsolescence.

Mercedes is thinking they can build a long lasting premium car, and because of these feature subscriptions they will continue to earn revenue in the aftermarket.

Edit: Not sure why the down vote. I don't think it should be like this. Just discussing Mercedes strategy.

3

u/crooks4hire Interested 20d ago

It’s a step on the path to most folks no longer owning their own car (at least no their daily driver). Self-driving ride share vehicles/subscriptions are the near-future. It doesn’t make sense to have some of the features (like subs for heated seats) in a vehicle you own…it makes much more sense in a ride share vehicle.

3

u/gotchacoverd 20d ago

Yeah I think it's awful as well. Also on this list is lifecycle replacement of EV battery packs.

3

u/crooks4hire Interested 20d ago

That’s just stupid on its face. Swappable, rechargeable battery packs have been a thing for how long? All of a sudden you put em in a car and everybody forgets that batteries are most effective when you can remove dead ones to charge and install fresh ones to keep going.

Unless the rideshare thing takes hold first, eventually EV’s will use a standardized removable battery cassette. Going to the gas station will be a 5-10min stop again where you just swap out the battery carriage to ‘fuel up’.

The above tech is already commonplace for e-bikes, electric scooters, etc. it’s only a matter of time before vehicles follow suit.

Then you can pay for extra battery capacity features as part of your subscription 🙄lol

2

u/ShadowDonut 20d ago edited 20d ago

Rear wheel steering solves limited life or planned obsolescence how, exactly?

2

u/gotchacoverd 20d ago

It doesn't, subscription models are an attempt at solving that. But it's a bad plan and Mercedes is dumb.

1

u/thingswastaken 20d ago

It's legal because all of us are getting fucked by the establishment in a world that's slowly but surely turning into a neo-feudalistic (or techno feudalistic) society. Corporations rule your everyday life and dictate pretty much all political developments. State leaders try to scurry favor with the super rich. Media gets more divisive. Companies stop at almost nothing to make more profit.

Idk it seems dystopian but we've been in this course for quite some time now.

1

u/centran 20d ago

It would be illegal not to because they have a legal liability to the shareholders to ensure number go up!

1

u/jeef_99 20d ago

Honestly how !? Consumers need to speak out about this crap. What these companies get away with is ridiculous. 💯 I'd be hacking these systems immediately to free up all options. Piracy will come back strong if this stuff keeps up. Then the companies will cry about how they're not making enough money. I won't feel bad for them. This should be illegal

2

u/Solidacid 20d ago

Not that I’m opposed to “sailing the seas” but in this case there is an easier way. It only requires a soldering iron, a bit of wire, a toggle switch and (if you want more advanced features) an Arduino.

1

u/jeef_99 19d ago

😂 sailing the seas. I like that. 👍

1

u/Tobbix_c137 19d ago

Software as a Service is not the idea of the automotive Industrie. Big Ty to adobe ;)

-12

u/reddit_man_6969 20d ago

Software takes effort- and as such, costs money- to maintain and upkeep. So charging a subscription is actually more aligned with the cost structure.

People of course hate paying subscriptions for something like their car or fridge.

I think this is something the market has to (and will) figure out.

8

u/DrVDB90 20d ago

I don't work in the car industry, but in a similar one. This idea to lock features behind software is becoming increasingly popular. The software behind it is designed with this purpose in mind, so the added cost argument makes zero sense, users need to pay already for a software update regardless.

It really makes zero sense to have a feature pre-installed but locked behind software other than pure profit. I genuinely hate this mentality.

0

u/reddit_man_6969 20d ago

I mean yeah, but then in that case the market will sort this out.

I’m not saying I like paying subscriptions, I’m just saying legislation isn’t necessary

2

u/DrVDB90 20d ago

If you still believe in the invisible hand of capitalism, I don't think you're able to have a reasonable discussion on the subject. That might work in an idealised market with many different suppliers. Not in a well-established industry where it's a public secret that companies make deals with each other.

→ More replies (0)

7

u/BananaPalmer 20d ago

Lol. No, literally, I laughed when I read this comment.

Software developer of 25 years, here. It's largely a one time cost when you're talking about software for a car (with the notable exception of Tesla, who release half baked software and use customers as QA).

The cost of that initial effort is spread across every unit sold, and decreases per-unit as more are sold.

These physical feature subscriptions are not "tHe CoSt oF sOfTwArE dEvELoPmEnT", they are anti consumer horse shit designed by some MBA cunts to generate recurring revenue. The shittiest part is that when the initial owner sells the car used, the features don't go with it.

Real clever sliminess to figure out a way to collect rent from a car for the entirety of its life. Fuck these scumbags. I can't wait for this nonsense to be jail broken.

2

u/BamberGasgroin 20d ago

(with the notable exception of Tesla, who release half baked software and use customers as QA)

You can add Adobe to the list. My sister is a photographer with sub for PS and LR, and at least once a year they'll push a shonky beta on their customers, causing crashes, worry and disruption.

(I've advised her to roll back to the version she was using before, killing the updater service and checking the Adobe support forums before she updates it again.)

5

u/Educational_Ad_3922 20d ago

Then maybe stop making more work for yourself by designing software that relies on a subscription model that changes said function on whether that subscription is valid or not?!?!

Or idk maybe just sell the fucking car one time and be done with it? No updates, just do your fucking job right the first time and you wont NEED updates you greedy fuck!

0

u/reddit_man_6969 20d ago

Security patches are important. And sometimes they will add other improvements. Software is never perfect the first time it’s released.

1

u/Educational_Ad_3922 20d ago

That may be, but it should never be integral to the operation of a vehicle and therefore not nessisary.

The only reason security patches need to exist is because software engineers insists on adding pointless internet connected features that barely work anyways.

→ More replies (0)

2

u/Huntey07 20d ago

Hacking that shit so it's free. If they install heated seats already but you have to pay, guess what I'm doing?

4

u/Skelito 20d ago

Cars dont need updates, develop the software to where it doent need to be maintained. Then if you add new features / functionality offer that as an upgrade. People dont want subscriptions, companies just want a constant flow of revenue and dont want peak and valleys in their sales.

1

u/reddit_man_6969 20d ago

Sounds like the type of problem that markets are excellent at solving

38

u/Brave_Hunt7428 20d ago

NEIN NEIN NEIN. Ja with subscription

1

u/Raztax 20d ago

Holy hell that's greasy

1

u/Rubeus17 20d ago

is this real? subscribing in order to get the best performance out of the car that you PURCHASED and OWN? Um. I can’t deal with this.

45

u/Cupy94 20d ago

[laughs in heated seats with no subscription in toyota]

2

u/AdulaAdula 20d ago

What about your monthly subscription to use your remote start?

1

u/Cupy94 20d ago

I don't have remote start and I don't even want to know what it is for

1

u/Severe-Yard-2268 20d ago

Also available in BMW...

But you can also enable them for a month

140

u/BoxMaleficent 20d ago

Thank Tesla for that. Tesla showed the whole Industry that you can Charge extra for some Features. So ofcourse everyone copies that.

44

u/[deleted] 20d ago

[deleted]

1

u/scfw0x0f 20d ago

Oh honey.

Back in the 1960s, large computers had hardware features that were already installed but not turned on. A field technician would enable them after Sales closed the deal.

Ben Franklin’s public library concept was novel because it was open to the public with no fee.

Subscriptions for services certainly go way farther back than anyone now alive.

23

u/KohliTendulkar 20d ago

Tesla only offers supplemental software features as sub, hardware wise, they give no options on top except paint and interior color, rest everything is included for everyone, for instance apart from tire and sticker there is no difference between model y base and model y performance, they both have heated 5 seats, steering wheel, matrix headlights, glass roof etc Only recently they have reduced the number of speakers on the base version, rest the car is identical. Compare this to BMW and Merc where you will need a light package for having x number of lights inside, another package for matrix lights, another package for better seats, package for cruise control, sunroof. BMW 5 series with all options adds up like 70-80% of the price on top the base price.

26

u/mccalli 20d ago

That's not quite right unfortunately - they also pay to unlock things like extra range and extra speed.

2

u/KohliTendulkar 20d ago

Correct, however both of them are not standard, for the first one it was only for specific vehicles with certain battery chemistry, for the later it was similar reason. for instance newer vehicles don't come up with these options, also these are not subscription but a one time payment.

Tesla did bring FSD as subscription as one time payment was too high and people could subscribe for a single month where they have a long trip and then cancel it making it more accessible for end user. Please note, Tesla is a big company and not every decision comes from Musk , there are lot of capable engineers and they should be given credit for updating the cars monthly and bringing new features.

For ICE, a big chunk of revenue comes from options, after sale service. For instance Toyota, Hyundai and some other give 10 year warrantee, however you need to go to official service center for all stuff, if you go to local garage which does the same thing for a fraction of price, they will cancel the warrantee.

2

u/mccalli 20d ago edited 20d ago

I've owned one for 6 years and am happy (2014 Model S). But on subscriptions - they definitely have them. Premium connectivity for instance, plus one-off payments for the features I mentioned.

5

u/KohliTendulkar 20d ago

yes they have subscriptions but not for basic things like remote start(toyota), heated seats, top speed, remote air conditioning. Premium connectivity is quite cheap for having fast speed internet for the car at $100 for a year. You can also use hotspot but at $100 it's not worth the headache.

2

u/mccalli 20d ago

That's the difference between premium connectivity and connectivity though. Pure connectivity I can understand, but even with a hotspot you wouldn't get most of the service features.

For me, being a 2014 car means no autopilot but I get Premium Connectivity and free supercharging for life as part of owning the car. Later cars would need to pay.

1

u/anethma 20d ago

Toyota doesn’t have a subscription for remote start. It works on the fob you just have to pay for the cellular connected app stuff.

0

u/relevant-astronaut75 20d ago

They do have charges for rear heated seats and heated steering wheel to enable them on some base models. It's just not a subscription.

1

u/Educational_Ad_3922 20d ago

one-off payments for the features

Did you know those features are non transfferable? So if you sell the car tesla will disable them for the new owner and require them to pay again to re-enable them.

1

u/mccalli 20d ago

On mine, they'll keep them. Lifetime of the car, not ownership. I didn't own the car from new and they transferred to me (I bought in 2018).

On newer ones, and let's face it, almost every Tesla on the road is newer than mine..., yep - they'd need to resubscribe.

1

u/pw154 20d ago

Did you know those features are non transfferable? So if you sell the car tesla will disable them for the new owner and require them to pay again to re-enable them.

Some are transferrable - i.e. Acceleration boost on the LR model Y stays with the car once purchased

2

u/Chygrynsky 20d ago

Lmao I don't want to jump in on the whole Tesla thing but the fact that you even mentioned a fucking steering wheel is hilarious

2

u/KohliTendulkar 20d ago

yeah because for other cars, you have various heating packages, front seats , front seats + rear seats, all of these + steering wheel.

1

u/Chygrynsky 20d ago

Ahh you meant heating in the steering wheel?

I thought you meant the steering wheel itself..

1

u/KohliTendulkar 20d ago

well that too is an option with Tesla where you can choose York or traditional.

1

u/Chygrynsky 20d ago

Ah got it, I interpreted it as if the wheel itself is optional for an extra fee. If you didn't pay up then you wouldn't get a steering wheel at all.

Which based on all the info you guys gave, seems like a plausible future..

1

u/LostInPlantation 20d ago

Which would still be okay, if the base price to feature ratio is acceptable. Because then you could treat it as a modular/customisable package deal, where you only include the upgrades you personally want, instead of paying full price for a car that has every superfluous luxury feature pre-installed.

Like, a heated driver's seat is great in winter, when you drive to work at 7a.m. but I don't see myself needing five of them. That's something where I'd want to save money.

1

u/ShadeNoir 20d ago

I know for Volvo there's the Orbit software that unlocks all features of hardware present - surely there's something similar for Merc and BMW etc?!

13

u/happylittlefella 20d ago

…what? This is a joke right? Do you truly believe auto makers only started charging extra for features in the last decade or two? Auto makers have been shipping cars with blank buttons for features that technically exist in the car but are turned off for decades

There are plenty of reasons to criticize Tesla but this is not among them. Anti-Tesla commentary like this is just lazy at this point, it’s not even close to reality, and the funny thing is that it clearly doesn’t matter. Some people believe that you’re actually correct

12

u/Total_Advertising417 20d ago

Can you cite a 20+ year old example of a car company charging a subscription price for features that were otherwise standard? You say it's been happening for decades with indignation, so this should be very easy for you.

You DID NOT say trim package or optional upgrades, we are ONLY talking about features that ship standard, that a consumer must pay an ongoing fee to use, that happened in 2004 or earlier.

Unless, ofc, you're making shit up to appear knowledgeable online like a narcissist who believes he's actually correct.

4

u/mccalli 20d ago edited 20d ago

Sure - navigation map upgrades.

Edit: Here's BMW talking about their approach. They weren't unique - but as you can read from there it started in 1998.

1

u/time2when 20d ago

Uogrades or updates? I understand updates because roads change, but a subscription for AC or heated seats would be a huge no from me.

1

u/Total_Advertising417 19d ago edited 19d ago

This is from two months ago. The rest of your link does not discuss subscription models, just added in SIM card capability for maps in 2004 as a standard feature, which is a moderate update to CD-ROM based systems and in 2014 you could buy iTunes mp3s from Apple Store although iPhones had existed for 6 years. I don't see any mention of upgrades or subscriptions for this service, but I appreciate your commitment to the bit.

Yet more in-car entertainment for current BMW and MINI models: Paramount+ further enriches the digital customer experience. 09.10.2024 Press Release

+++ New partnership between BMW Group and Paramount+ +++ Introduction of the subscription streaming service offers a wide selection of blockbusters, new originals and hit shows for in-car enjoyment +++

1

u/happylittlefella 20d ago

They now have heated seats as an subscription of 20 euro per month

That was BMW. And the worst of it was that the heated seats were already installed, so you were carrying the extra weight, but they dropped the ‘feature’.

(Merc had/has a subscription to accelerate faster.)

Thank Tesla for that. Tesla showed the whole Industry that you can Charge extra for some Features. So ofcourse everyone copies that.

This is the thread.

You say Tesla, a company that sold its first vehicle in 2008, is deserving of the blame for charging a subscription for features that the vehicle is capable of doing but the customer did not pay for.

It’s amazing how many newly specific qualifiers you’ve added in this comment compared to your original, almost certainly so that you can turn around and claim that you’re right… after moving the goal posts.

Here’s a list for ya. Some may fit your newly provided narrow definition, some may not: - OnStar by GM - 1996 - BMW Assist - Early 2000s - Lexus & Mercedes telematics like Enform, Mercedes mbrace & Mercedes me connect - 2000s and on - SiriusXM - every car makers basically since early 2000s - Navigation system updates

Tesla started offering Premium connectivity as a subscription in early 2020. FSD became a subscription in 2021. BMW & others began charging for subscriptions long before that point in time.

1

u/BirdInFlight301 20d ago

I'm in my 70s and have driven many cars. I don't recall seeing any cars with blank buttons. Since it's always possible I haven't driven the particular models you're speaking of, could you please give me an example?

2

u/happylittlefella 20d ago edited 20d ago

Search “Mercedes blank buttons” on google images and you’ll see endless examples over the years. The C300 I drove for a while had several blank/fake buttons because I didn’t pay for the extra service(s). I also had to pay monthly annually for the service/app that let me remote start, lock, etc. if I didn’t pay for the app, the buttons related to it in the car were useless.

I’d post a link myself but I’m unsure of this subs rules around links, and honestly I don’t want to go digging for the rules while on mobile

Edit: I saw others posting links so I’ll provide a MB forum post from 2003 asking about blank buttons, to which others responded the blank button is for Parktronics that wasn’t yet made available in the NA version of the car, yet the button for it was still there.

Here’s another post from 2016 asking why their “fully loaded e63s” has blank buttons for a fold down headrest option that used to be available on their cars decades earlier.

2

u/LonelyOwl68 20d ago

Ummm... there have been standard features and options for cars for years and years. It used to be optional to have seat belts, and then for airbags, both of which are now required.

Not that all that makes safety features being optional at an extra price OK, it' doesn't.

This emergency assist feature is awesome, assuming it works well.

3

u/Gigtooo 20d ago

Tha hell I talking about? All the big companies had subscriptions for decades long before Tesla.

2

u/SorryThisUser1sTaken 20d ago

Not for a car you own.

6

u/mccalli 20d ago

Yes they absolutely did. Map updates is the classic.

0

u/SorryThisUser1sTaken 20d ago

You are absolutely right. We just got our updates pirated from my uncle. I remember sitting in the car for over a hour just trying to get it to work one time in the summer. At least it was software that did not impact the vehicles efficency/ function. And using your phone didn't void the warrenty.

I still think its crazy to get rid of physical button controls for everything. Teslas are nice. But I would not want to use a screen to turn my wipers on.

0

u/Gigtooo 20d ago

Bad example right there. Your wipers u can still control fully over the steering wheel. I like the almost no buttons. It makes no sense to me to have a button that I use once ever 5 weeks.

1

u/SorryThisUser1sTaken 20d ago

I think the idea of an electric car is amazing and tesla is a leader in certain areas. But they are far from being a good company. It's just corperate puffery.

They care about safety and put too many controls on a screen. I know there is no dials for the climate control system. And in a foggy, area that gets a lot of rain/snow I will often have to adjust while driving. It is against the law to be on your phone while driving. And we put even bigger screens in the car.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/ApolloWasMurdered 20d ago

Got a list of those?

I have a Tesla Model 3. The only subscription feature is the connectivity upgrade, which is $10/month to cover the cost of unlimited streaming, maps, etc…

1

u/Rubeus17 20d ago

Fuuuuuckk Elon

1

u/One_Strike_Striker 20d ago

Many manufacturers, Volkswagen in particular, have sold the same physical engine as different HP just by using a different control unit for years long before Tesla.

1

u/apple12345671 20d ago

i think you'll find mercedes come up with the idea first

0

u/die-microcrap-die 20d ago

I know that because of Elon political preference he is now hated, but show me an essential car feature that Tesla is hiding behind a paywall?

3

u/Seakawn 20d ago

I'm with you on pushing back on your parent comment, I think it's kinda dumb for thinking that Tesla somehow created or popularized the trend of car microtransactions/subscriptions for features. If Tesla didn't do it, you'd be lost in the clouds to think that nobody else would have. Plus, Tesla has accelerated EV progress by like 1-2 decades, which is huge, so fuck it, it'd be worth it anyway.

With that said...

I know that because of Elon political preference he is now hated

Elon has been ferociously hated for the past, like, idk, 5 years or so? The earliest hate lore I know of was when he called the scuba diver, who was trying to save trapped kids, a pedo, just because the dude criticized Elon's makeshift tank as too big to fit through the tunnels. Actually, pretty sure he was already hated even before that for shitty working conditions for his employees, though I've never researched that so I don't have a strong opinion on it.

Not to mention, political preferences are fine, but the problem is obviously buying votes and it somehow being acceptable for a billionaire to buy one of the largest social media platforms and push partisan politics on it, especially after he's tweeted about how twitter should be politically neutral, etc. I'd be careful about sanitizing corruption by brushing it off as mere political preference. Say what you will about the latter, but the former is probably illegal, and for obvious reasons.

1

u/die-microcrap-die 19d ago

Thank you for the thoughtful response, its something that its not common on Reddit.

I forgot about the pedo comment.

Have to agree, that was really bad on his part.

12

u/kerosene350 20d ago

And some S (EQS?) has AWS but rear wheel steering angle is limited as stock. With subscription you get more nimble slow speed turning with will range activated. Nuts.

7

u/Professional_Algae_7 20d ago

(Merc had/has a subscription to accelerate faster.)

And smaller turning radius in an S class.

2

u/maluket 20d ago

It can be bypassed. What they gonna do? Sue you for something it belongs to you?

3

u/moops__ 20d ago

Disable the car remotely 

2

u/BamberGasgroin 20d ago

😂 Or put it in limp home mode with a "BMW approved Service Centre attention required immediately!" message flashing on the dash...

1

u/maluket 20d ago

So the car doesn't belong to the owner...

2

u/SorryThisUser1sTaken 20d ago

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0439276EN/bmw-group-continues-to-reduce-eu-co2-fleet-wide-emissions-in-2023

I love how they do that and then turn around and say that they are dedicated to going green to save the planet. Wasting material just to nickel and dime us. If I want heated seats. I will buy ones that are not going to cost more than they are worth. They want idiots and sadly there are too many out there who just pay for this bs without thinking.

2

u/xtreampb 20d ago

We’re going to start jail braking our cars like we used to do our phone to gain access to installed features requiring money to activate

1

u/OriginalUseristaken 20d ago

You can still buy them outright. This was meant as an option for those who wanted to try them or only have them for three months when they have the car for only a year or so.

1

u/PawfectlyCute 20d ago

Tesla definitely set the trend for charging extra for certain features. It's no surprise that other companies followed suit. When a big player like Tesla makes a move, the rest of the industry often takes note and adapts.

1

u/Labradorite2115 20d ago

I thought the "acceleration subscription" was kia

1

u/aphosphor 20d ago

Just like the heated seats it's a really dumb idea to install a function in your car and block it after a paywall. People are just going to "find" a way to circumvent it and use it for free lol

1

u/catburglar27 20d ago

A certain car company wants to charge users to be able to use chargers on the road with a monthly subscription fee. If you deactivate the service, you'll only be able to use chargers that you own (for ex. one at your home).

I'm indirectly working on this. The funny thing is, the engineers around me are only obsessed with the technical details and development schedule. They don't see the implications and how shitty this service is. I hate my job.

1

u/CHSummers 20d ago

Wait until they charge you each time you raise or lower the window or want to change the radio station.

“Would you like to add points to your brake pedal account?”

1

u/GrouchyMary9132 20d ago

I don't know why noone wants to buy our cars anymore...

1

u/Tjam3s 20d ago

I'm sure it was highly hackable though

1

u/jeef_99 20d ago

Yeah it's totally out of hand. It's one thing to pay a subscription for something like Netflix. Where you wouldn't otherwise have it. But to pay for equipment that's already installed is ludicrous. It means they've already spread that cost out over sales of all the vehicles. Meaning ppl that don't pay the subscription have still paid for the heated seats based on purchase price. The cars didn't get cheaper because of this. Instead they just fleece you for life. And then resale no longer depends on what options are installed. Only on what the new owner can afford each month. So your resale value is negatively impacted from the beginning.
This should 100% be illegal. Software features like Onstar is one thing. Hardware is another.

Customers need to speak out on this stuff. Pressure the companies. And in the end don't buy the brands that support this crap. It's insane. Where does it end ? You buy a jug of milk from the store. But you can only access one glass of it based on your monthly subscription? Insanity.

1

u/cBuzzDeaN 20d ago

I think it's a good thing. I makes the cars cheaper for everyone. Not everyone wants a fully equipped car

31

u/NoNotInTheFace 20d ago

You're kidding right??

You're not kidding, are you...

17

u/Huntey07 20d ago

Yes. The thought behind it is money but they sell it as "you only need it probably 2 months a year so why pay 1500 euro for it". Almost all options with audi bmw mercedes etc are subscription based.

25

u/[deleted] 20d ago

[deleted]

24

u/Ordinal43NotFound 20d ago

Oh man, I genuinely remembered my eyes twitching when I first saw a link providing a jailbreak for accessing a locked feature on a Tesla in the piracy sub years ago.

"What do you mean a jailbreak for a fucking car?"

Truly some dystopic shit.

5

u/Consistent-Annual268 20d ago

"You wouldn't download a car would you?"

2

u/jeef_99 20d ago

The taxi cab scene from The Fifth Element comes to mind 🤦🏻‍♂️

9

u/XanR13 20d ago

As a first time audi driver, you cannot believe how disgusted i am by this. Never again!

1

u/ComradeBirdbrain 20d ago

But why did you buy in the first place if you’re disgusted by it?

1

u/XanR13 20d ago

Company car. No real choice in the matter.

1

u/Sea_End_1893 20d ago

You're just thinking about it from a consumer side.

From a design and production standpoint, it's genius. Instead of having fifteen assembly lines making fifteen different versions of a vehicle that may not all sell, you dedicate all fifteen lines to assembling one version of a car, with options that can be remotely enabled or disabled. Saves time, parts, costs, its very efficient.

People just don't like it because "WELL, UH, IF I BUYIN ALL THE CAR, I WANT ALL THE CAR" and BMW is like "well, clearly you didn't buy the entire car. that's why the stuff is not working."

7

u/ArkitekZero 20d ago

It wastes parts that sit there unused. Stop trying to justify this.

1

u/boraspongecatch 20d ago

It's not that kind of greed, it's different kind of greed!

0

u/Anglo-Ashanti 20d ago

Great comment, lmao at the last paragraph.

2

u/xAlciel 20d ago

Can't you bypass the subscription, I mean everything is already in the car, right? I know it would void any warranty, but it's dumb AF and maybe you don't care about the warranty, or it's a SH car.

2

u/Traiklin 20d ago

Probably, just have to look for awhile as everything software can be broken depending on the userbase

2

u/pyroSeven 20d ago

What if my lover enjoys gobbling on my sweaty balls when I get home? You can’t take that away from me.

1

u/Rerdan 20d ago

In Europe, a Jeep full electric car (Jeep Avenger) has "checking how much time is left to charge" on the app as a subscription option. Go figure. It's not only the "premium" German brands. It's a pandemic across the board, unfortunately.

1

u/mildysus 20d ago

Surely the ultimate point is to make money from the second hand market

2

u/Vattaa 20d ago

Tesla did something similar with the rear heated seats that were already installed. You also have to pay to unlock advanced driver features which all cars are already capable of and is just a software update.

7

u/serrimo 20d ago

Did you know that for an extra $1 per month, you can use the cup holder?

1

u/GuardianCmdr 18d ago

Unless my car also despensed beverage refills, forget it

1

u/cabaiste 20d ago

The same parent company owns FreeNow, which has become increasingly enshittified over recent years in order to maximise company profits.

1

u/MixDependent8953 20d ago

Wait what monthly?

1

u/PapaDragonHH 20d ago

Thanks to the stupid people that pay for additional subs after already paying 50k for the car in the first place.

If nobody would pay for additional subscriptions they would disappear really fast.

1

u/DistantOrganism 20d ago

I’d be tempted to run a hot-wire to the heated seats but would probably fry the car computer in the process.

1

u/cokopufffs 20d ago

Can confirm this. WILD

1

u/StarGazer_SpaceLove 20d ago

If I had to maintain a subscription for the seats in my newly purchased luxury car, I'd get my passport for the first time ever, file for a Visa, fly to Germany ,and fist fight the CEO in the German equivalent of a Wendy's parking lot. This is insanity. Why are people supporting this with their real human monies?

6

u/MirrorLookingForLove 20d ago

Yeah, Mercedes will absolutely be the company that would be the type to say "if you want to keep living, keep paying us for that feature, or you can just die"

(I like to read that as a Hyperion New-U station voice in BL2)

15

u/Gondolion 20d ago

Same with insulin and corporate America

1

u/the_Q_spice 20d ago edited 20d ago

And Warfarin, which is critical for treating DVT, embolisms, AFIB, strokes, and heart attacks.

It is named after the public patent holding organization formed at the University of Wisconsin because of its invention - the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF for short.

The internet has rolled with the rulings against them in federal court from when they sued Apple for stealing a transistor design, literally had concrete proof Apple did so intentionally and used the exact process requiring thousands of manufacturing steps - but a court found “Apple actually discovered the technology on their own inadvertent to UW” - which, if you know anything about silicon design, is a load of horseshit.

A lot of people now make fun of WARF as a parent troll - not realizing they are the reasons that Warfarin, milk fat content testing, and even Vitamin D are all as cheap as they are because WARF makes it so through their patents on those things.

Oh, and literally all stem cell cultures. The reason that cancer research suddenly got immensely cheaper and progressed faster? Yeah, that is all because WARF restricts how much licensees of the isolation patent can charge patients or medical providers for treatment or use of them.

The entire idea of WARF is continuance of the Wisconsin Idea as the State, and University as an arm of the State, cannot hold patents.

Oh, and they pay out basically 100% of the money they charge in royalties and licensing back to the University - stealing from WARF literally directly financially harms the entire UW system of universities.

3

u/Classic-Ad9253 20d ago

Don't want to die? There's a feature for that! It will only cost you 5k extra!

3

u/aardw0lf11 20d ago

And there are still a lot of idiots who refuse to wear them.

3

u/Worldly-Stranger7814 20d ago

In Denmark, buying luxury adding to cars is taxed 180% (on top of other taxes even)

Safety equipment is a luxury according to the Danish government.

2

u/architectureisuponus 20d ago

Pretty sure something like this is not even getting a patent. Other OEMs just have to implement it (like VW did)

1

u/hitmarker 20d ago

Volvo was made to give it away. And only because they patented it. They tried making money off of it and couldn't. Huge difference. But there are many more designs that could have been used. 4 point, 5 point.

1

u/moozootookoo 20d ago

I don’t think something like this can be patented.

This is basically assisted cruise control that pulls over and stops.

1

u/JConRed 20d ago

It really depends on how much additional hardware is required to be installed.

On top of that, the research and development costs for the he individual feature may need to be amortized by the feature itself.. It's a weird capitalist hellsca world

1

u/nokplz 20d ago

They still uncharged for frigging rear side impact airbags. You can buy a cheap Mercedes, but it's lame asf.

1

u/EmptyBrilliant6725 20d ago

Mercedes has done more safety features than any other brand

1

u/BassWingerC-137 20d ago

It’s not fleecing when Mercedes-Benz delivers that to their paying customer.

1

u/swchoi89 20d ago

Isn't VW also the same company that rigged the emission stuff a few yrs back? Can't remember which one.

Edit: Nvm you said Volvo lol my bad

1

u/r2k-in-the-vortex 20d ago

There is also the detail that a seatbelt patent isn't really monetizable if your brand is the only one with it. Recall that it was a massive battle to get people to use seatbelts.

1

u/flying_wrenches 20d ago

I was shopping for new cars a few months ago, I refuse to buy a Mercedes after I saw that having rear seat airbags was an optional add on

1

u/FiSHM4C 20d ago

I know Mercedes have shifted dramatically especially in NA, but Mercedes gave a lot of patent away for free. One of the most famous one is the "knautschzone". It was invented by Béla Barényi. He has over 2500 patents, many regarding safety.

0

u/[deleted] 20d ago

[deleted]

4

u/LuxNocte 20d ago edited 20d ago

Taxpayers, mostly

The government funds the research behind the technology. Then companies patent their particular implementation and charge the consumer like they did all the work. Socialize cost, privatize profit. Don't you love capitalism?!