[RahulNagaraj]

Mercedes-Benz EQS will be offering its rear-wheel steering feature on a subscription basis in some markets.



According to a media report, all Mercedes-Benz EQS electric sedans will get the hardware that enables the rear wheels to turn 10-degrees. However, in certain markets like Germany, customers will have to pay a subscription amount to unlock the feature. Without the subscription, the rear wheels on the EQS will be limited to a 4.5-degree turn.



Customers subscribing to the full 10-degree rear-axle steering will have to pay 489 Euros (US$ 571) per year. Customers can also choose to pay 1,169 Euros (US$ 1,376) upfront, to have the feature for a three-year period. Once the payment is made, an over-the-air update will unlock the feature for the subscription period.



Reports suggest that the only basic requirement is that the EQS must have the parking package installed, which includes the 360-degree camera.

Source: Auto, Motor und Sport

Link to Team-BHP news

[2000rpm]

This subscription model is the lamest experimentation in the auto industry (I hope it stays an experimentation and doesnt get caught on).

And this coming from Mercedes is just cheap, a brand with lower margins can maybe try this, but this coming from Mercedes is shameful.

[svsantosh]

The first thing that came to my mind is... if the subscription expires in the middle of a U-turn, your Rs.1.25 Cr Benz will crab walk back home.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Stupidest idea ever. This is a brand which prides itself on being the best in the world. And now wants to behave like a cheap app startup for its new flagship. This is how painstakingly built brand equity is ruined over a few pennies. Honda did it in the 2010s. Mercedes itself did it in the 90s and had only now moved past that debacle. Seems they haven’t learnt. Or maybe they have hired a few too many tech guys from Chinese app companies.

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

This subscription model is the lamest experimentation in the auto industry (I hope it stays an experimentation and doesnt get caught on).

And this coming from Mercedes is just cheap, a brand with lower margins can maybe try this, but this coming from Mercedes is shameful.

I think subscription based features are a good move for electronic/software features. There are a lot of customers that don't actually use or care for certain software features, especially if they are older or less technologically savvy.

But, what I don't get is putting an expensive piece of hardware in a car and then restricting a person from using it. Essentially, the customer has already paid for that part too whether entirely or at a subsidised price since it is part of the car.

[Guna]

I was reading about Tesla's self driving tech/service to be made available as subscription and there it seem to make sense as I think their tech makes use of real time data from the centralized service, running which costs money.
But if a car already has hardware built in, which means the company has incurred cost and it already would have charged the customer (by building the cost in the the car price), how does subscription makes sense? It is like charging a monthly subscription for the AWD feature.

[ZenMaster]

This would honestly have been a good April Fools joke taking a shot at Tesla had they announced it on April 1st.

Whoever came up with this particular idea, has no clue what he/she is doing and who in their right mind greenlights this sort of Ideas.

What next, the S-class will run in 4 cylinder mode unless you pay for a subscription?
Maybe even better, why not put the Reverse gear behind a paywall?

[abhishek46]

Someday some automaker will prevent the brakes & steering from suddenly working, and ask for a fee to be paid as ransom.

I hope European consumer courts will take notice of this nonsense and put these greedy automakers to their place, before this disease reaches Asian shores.

[charanreddy]

A Mercedes EQS retails for upwards of ~100K euros. For <0.5% of car value per year, Mercedes are willing to make a joke of themselves ! Talk about loosing the woods for the trees !!

IMHO, customers need to teach a strong lesson to Mercedes.

[guru_max]

This is a really bad news. I expected that some bad aspects of tech. industry would start filtering through to the automotive industry and it has happened. Hope EU agencies nip this in the bud. Us folks in India really have no option in this regard, if these ends up becoming a thing, it would start filtering down to the less pricey and common cars and we have no way to escape from this. If it doesn't make past EU or US, nobody will spend the money to develop the concept.

[Shresth_EV]

There are some things which are still acceptable as a subscription. Like internet connectivity, Tesla/VW self driving, Nio’s Battery Swapping and so on. But this feature makes no sense.

I mean, even teslas had one time fee to upgrade to ludicrous mode ($15K even if you and the performance model, now it’s fixed and performance version comes default with ludicrous) and enable features like seat heating ($300 one time).

But for a feature like rear axle steering? Seriously, what is this? MercEAdes? No, but the terrible joke aside, had they made it a one time fee, even then it would pass off for an “optional feature” which you select at booking.

Had they gone that route, people would likely still have discovered, that EQS had hardware for that feature, even if one hadn’t opted for it at booking, but still, that backlash would’ve been much lesser than what they’re going to see now.

But to make it a subscription (which carries the connotation that every EQS has the hardware to do rear axle steering) but is soft-locked from using the feature until you pay, is overtly cheap and completely unacceptable to be coming from a company like MB. And it’s not even that it’s a cheaper model like A or C class. It’s the flagship EQS.

[sandeepmohan]

I wonder what Mercedes Benz are going to think of next. A subscription service for heated and massage seats, to turn on or off one motor on the axle, predictive suspension system. The list can be endless. It is odd that they would introduce something like this for the steering system.

[OctYFAN]

This is outrageous. How can you put a piece of hardware the customer paid for behind a subscription. Also this parking package is no cheap option either. Can't believe that MB is acting this cheap. But maybe they thought if you could afford an EQS, you could afford the subscription.

I'd rather hack into it after the warranty expires and activate it permanently.

Do they provide an option to activate it permanently?

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I wonder what Mercedes Benz are going to think of next. A subscription service for heated and massage seats, to turn on or off one motor on the axle, predictive suspension system. The list can be endless. It is odd that they would introduce something like this for the steering system.

All of this would be stupid too. How could they expect you to pay for something that you have already bought. For example, you have already bought the massage seats and it's price is included in the price of the car. You pay for the suspension system as well. And why do you need a subscription to turn on or off an axle.

I don't know why Mercedes is doing this. This will just cheapen it's value that everyone has for it.

Ah! How I miss the days before connected tech cars! (I mean the connected to manufacturer via internet cars. Not Bluetooth).

[Thilak29]

This is dumb! Someone pays big dollars for hardware and software needs of this feature but the company wants a few hundred dollars extra just to flip the switch on? If manufacturers get creative every other creature comfort feature can be turned into a subscription.

Had God thought this way, he would have charged us every time we move hands when it itches! There is a reason he didn't! Get it MB!

[extreme_torque]

So Mercedes isnt making enough money on a sedan with a very average electric powertrain which would also be expensive at the outset, that they have to resort to stinginess like this. Is this their idea of subscription based services in EV's? For crying out loud!