Get prepared for monthly charges for everything

[Chuck]

I saw a thread here where someone was complaining about having the toe-kick hatch open feature taken away. I believe that the complaint in the future will be that such features will have monthly charges associated with them.


In the future I expect that all of the features will be recurring costs. Toe kick hatch open, $3/month. AM/FM radio $2/month. Remote start/warmup $10/month. Remote frunk open $2/month. Power liftgate $3/month. Carplay/Android Auto $10/month. Navigation $7/month. Adjustable driver's seat, $2/month. Headlights? You want to drive after dusk? $20/month. Fast charge, $20/month. Charge past 80%? $15/month. Make a list of anything you like about your current car and the carmakers will charge monthly. That way they get income on the car until the car is put in the scrap pile.

The car makers have seen how we stream video. We pay monthly for Netflix, Disney+, Discovery+, YouTube premium, etc. The number of small monthly payments that we're willing to pay hasn't been lost on the car makers. The ability to add/remove features via software will be an incremental income boon for car makers.

Lest you say "I won't buy from a car maker that does that," I fear you'll never buy a car. They're all going to do that.

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[igotnoclevername]

You realize I pay nothing up front for Netflix and Disney plus, right? Give me the car for free, or make it the price of a select that includes all the GT performance options and I'll pick and choose the ones I don't mind paying a monthly fee for to upgrade.

Don't think either of those are going to happen though.

 

[Mirak]

I saw a thread here where someone was complaining about having the toe-kick hatch open feature taken away. I believe that the complaint in the future will be that such features will have monthly charges associated with them.


In the future I expect that all of the features will be recurring costs. Toe kick hatch open, $3/month. AM/FM radio $2/month. Remote start/warmup $10/month. Remote frunk open $2/month. Power liftgate $3/month. Carplay/Android Auto $10/month. Navigation $7/month. Adjustable driver's seat, $2/month. Headlights? You want to drive after dusk? $20/month. Fast charge, $20/month. Charge past 80%? $15/month. Make a list of anything you like about your current car and the carmakers will charge monthly. That way they get income on the car until the car is put in the scrap pile.

The car makers have seen how we stream video. We pay monthly for Netflix, Disney+, Discovery+, YouTube premium, etc. The number of small monthly payments that we're willing to pay hasn't been lost on the car makers. The ability to add/remove features via software will be an incremental income boon for car makers.

Lest you say "I won't buy from a car maker that does that," I fear you'll never buy a car. They're all going to do that.

“The future” depends upon your frame of reference. Yes, this subscription model will become more prevalent in the near future. But to your last point, eventually the vast majority of people won’t be buying cars. They’ll be paying on a per ride basis or, more likely, subscribing, for Elon’s fleet of robo-taxis. I’m not joking. It is coming, eventually. And most people will prefer that.

Sorry to put a damper on things.

 

[RickMachE]

I think it's clear that things like Navigation will be charged for. Given that ABRP is a good, free substitute, I won't pay. Of course Ford years ago said they were charging for the ability to remote start, etc., and then made it free because all the competitors did.

Sure, charge me. I don't pay for Sirius, never have. I won't pay for much.

 

[Carsinmyblood]

I saw a thread here where someone was complaining about having the toe-kick hatch open feature taken away. I believe that the complaint in the future will be that such features will have monthly charges associated with them.


In the future I expect that all of the features will be recurring costs. Toe kick hatch open, $3/month. AM/FM radio $2/month. Remote start/warmup $10/month. Remote frunk open $2/month. Power liftgate $3/month. Carplay/Android Auto $10/month. Navigation $7/month. Adjustable driver's seat, $2/month. Headlights? You want to drive after dusk? $20/month. Fast charge, $20/month. Charge past 80%? $15/month. Make a list of anything you like about your current car and the carmakers will charge monthly. That way they get income on the car until the car is put in the scrap pile.

The car makers have seen how we stream video. We pay monthly for Netflix, Disney+, Discovery+, YouTube premium, etc. The number of small monthly payments that we're willing to pay hasn't been lost on the car makers. The ability to add/remove features via software will be an incremental income boon for car makers.

Lest you say "I won't buy from a car maker that does that," I fear you'll never buy a car. They're all going to do that.

I seriously doubt this. The window sticker would have to be a fan-fold list of services, warnings, drop-dead dates and charges and I don't think there are many governments that will approve the plan in the first place.

Can you imagine magazine, TV and 'net ads disclaiming that in addition to your car payments you have to pick from a list of other monthly fees too?

Put another way, would you buy a refrigerator that cost $15/month to run the freezer or a washer that cost $5 each time you wanted to add hot water? Nope.

The car makers that does this will fade into history.

 

[Blue highway]

I saw a thread here where someone was complaining about having the toe-kick hatch open feature taken away. I believe that the complaint in the future will be that such features will have monthly charges associated with them.


In the future I expect that all of the features will be recurring costs. Toe kick hatch open, $3/month. AM/FM radio $2/month. Remote start/warmup $10/month. Remote frunk open $2/month. Power liftgate $3/month. Carplay/Android Auto $10/month. Navigation $7/month. Adjustable driver's seat, $2/month. Headlights? You want to drive after dusk? $20/month. Fast charge, $20/month. Charge past 80%? $15/month. Make a list of anything you like about your current car and the carmakers will charge monthly. That way they get income on the car until the car is put in the scrap pile.

The car makers have seen how we stream video. We pay monthly for Netflix, Disney+, Discovery+, YouTube premium, etc. The number of small monthly payments that we're willing to pay hasn't been lost on the car makers. The ability to add/remove features via software will be an incremental income boon for car makers.

Lest you say "I won't buy from a car maker that does that," I fear you'll never buy a car. They're all going to do that.

I'm sure some flavor of this is coming... In the context of the MME, BC is the obvious example along with Navigation which are already subscriptions.

It's not clear to me that there will be a long list of existing features that will become subscriptions... New features that don't exist today... maybe but I'll go on record as being doubtful.

 

[dtbaker61]

I think it's clear that things like Navigation will be charged for. Given that ABRP is a good, free substitute, I won't pay. Of course Ford years ago said they were charging for the ability to remote start, etc., and then made it free because all the competitors did.

Sure, charge me. I don't pay for Sirius, never have. I won't pay for much.

I won't pay for any 'extra features'... especially since I don't want any of them.
I just want reliable, fun, electric transportation.

 

[KevinS]

I don't expect to use any connected services I'd have to pay an extra subscription for. CarPlay and ABRP works fine for me for everything I need.

 

[andyrross]

Isn't BMW starting to charge fees for things, like auto-dimming headlights? I could be wrong but believe I read that.

 

[KevinS]

Isn't BMW starting to charge fees for things, like auto-dimming headlights? I could be wrong but believe I read that.

Yes, I remember reading something about that in Car and Driver a few issues ago, and I'm sure it's gone over about as well as their new grille design.

 

[RickMachE]

Keep in mind that in our navigation, there is a connected component that has a a 3 year free model.

When it's over, if you don't pay it will revert to embedded navigation with no connected navigation services (traffic). It includes yearly map updates and such.

Says nothing about staying current on charging locations or not.

https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/sync/sync-4/what-are-the-sync-4-navigation-options/

 

[Scooby24]

Well this is some real falling sky nonsense.

 

[AKgrampy]

Well this is some real falling sky nonsense.

I also read an article referring to these kind of changes coming in the future. What I thought about that article and also what the OP shared probably violates the rules of this forum to print!

 

[KevinS]

Article I was referring to:
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a37419225/on-demand-options-automakers/

 

[Av8tor]

Ford CEO Says Subscriptions For Heated Seats 'Isn't Our Approach'

Ford CEO Says Subscriptions For Heated Seats 'Isn't Our Approach' (motor1.com)

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