# Mercedes locks faster acceleration behind a annual paywall



## francoisp (Sep 28, 2018)

> The German auto manufacturer is the latest company to offer subscription services for features a vehicle was already capable of.


Tesla's approach always bothered me. Now other manufacturers are emulating it. One day we might have to pay a subscription for stronger regen.

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## wa4yih (3 mo ago)

I didn't think that Tesla had anything behind an annual pay wall, only one-time payments. 
My Model Y has a faster acceleration available if I want to buy it. I don't and it makes the price of the car cheaper.


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## francoisp (Sep 28, 2018)

wa4yih said:


> I didn't think that Tesla had anything behind an annual pay wall, only one-time payments.
> My Model Y has a faster acceleration available if I want to buy it. I don't and it makes the price of the car cheaper.


That's one way of looking at it. I look at it from the point of view that the car is already capable of higher acceleration but Tesla is reducing it in order to extract more $$$ from its customers. I know many don't agree with me but that's how I feel about it.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

francoisp said:


> Tesla's approach always bothered me. Now other manufacturers are emulating it. One day we might have to pay a subscription for stronger regen.


Mercedes invented that tactic - I remember they used to have features that were built into the car, but you had to go to the dealer and pay money for it to be activated. The over-the-air method is new thanks to Tesla, though.

And I think it was BMW who at one point nearly had a mandatory periodic service interval where if you decided to skip it for too long, the car would brick itself until you have it towed to the dealer for the service. The idea leaked out before it was implemented, and they decided to abandon it.


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