Automakers Can't Give Up The Idea Of Turning Everyday Features Into Subscription Services With Fees

Automakers Can't Give Up The Idea Of Turning Everyday Features Into Subscription Services With Fees

2 years ago
Anonymous $jukOC22bR_

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20220207/06363548429/automakers-cant-give-up-idea-turning-everyday-features-into-subscription-services-with-fees.shtml

At the same time car companies are fighting the right to repair movement (and the state and federal legislation popping up everywhere), they're continuing the quest to turn everyday features -- like heated seats -- into something users have to pay a recurring fee for.

In 2019, BMW had to abandon a plan to charge $80 per year for Apple CarPlay. The company, having learned nothing, began floating the idea of charging a subscription for features back in 2020, when it proposed making heated seats and heated steering wheels something you pay a permanent monthly fee for. Last December, Toyota proposed imposing a monthly fee for customers who wanted to be able to remotely start their vehicles.