Mercedes Says Drivers Must Pay Annual Fee To Unlock Car's Best Performance

Mercedes-Benz has come under fire after it emerged that some customers would have to pay a $1,200 yearly subscription fee in order to get the most power from their cars.

The controversial move was first reported by automotive enthusiast website The Drive on Sunday, with the writer describing the charge as "maddening" and "gross."

The news sparked anger among some consumers who would need to shell out more cash on a rolling basis in order to release their vehicles' new potential.

The Mercedes-Benz website said the move is "coming soon" and explained that for a $1,200 subscription, customers would be able to "accelerate more powerfully" and "increase the torque and maximum output of your Mercedes-EQ." It urged drivers to "unleash enhanced performance for your car."

The performance subscription model relates to all of Mercedes' top-tier EQ electric models, according to The Drive, and—in return for the annual $1,200 fee—those customers would be able to enjoy increased horsepower and torque. Paying to ramp-up their cars' quickness would result in boosting acceleration by shaving up to a second from the time it would otherwise take to hit 60 mph from a starting position.

For example, a driver who owned a Mercedes-EQ EQE SUV 350 4Matic could pay the fee each year to decrease the zero to 60 mph time from 6.2 to 5.2 seconds and increase the car's horsepower (h.p.) from 288 to 349.

While the owner of a Mercedes-EQ EQS 450 4Matic could pay more to see their car go from 355 h.p. to 443 h.p., with their zero to 60 mph time dropping from 5.3 to 4.5 seconds.

The payment model is part of a larger move that automakers are pursing with subscription services for everything from heated seats to more power. Some car fans angered by the fee took to social media to vent.

"Yeeesh," tweeted one, who said customers would balk at the price tag. Another described the fee as "absurd."

And some claimed Mercedes-Benz would see little success with the model. "Good luck with that," one tweeted. "It's nice having acceleration, I have an MYP, but the novelty wears off and I barely ever use more than 1/4 throttle it's so quick. Who's going to keep paying after year 1? Not many."

Others saw the humor in the situation. One user jokingly tweeted that drivers could pay extra if they wanted the nails removed from their seats. Another joked that Mercedes would soon require a payment every time a driver wanted to lock their car after parking it.

But despite the criticism, jokes, and dismissals, others defended the move.

One Twitter user seemed unfazed and wrote: "ppl [people] will still pay it anyway. isn't it subscription already common. spotify, netflix, etc. it's everywhere. while it's bad, but it is what it is, it's the current normal, can't avoid it."

Another added: "Subscription is where the money at in today's business world. I predict we'll have similar car models in the future, software be the competitive advantage. Good job Mercedes."

Several commentators also noted that Tesla charged more for higher speeds too, although others pointed out that was a one-off fee rather than a rolling subscription.

But some drivers said they would be happy to have more control over their price point and their cars' performance. One Twitter user wrote: "I think it's pretty cool. How much does it cost to make a car a second faster in performance modifications? That's a deal. And if you tire of it, don't pay next year. I'd gladly pay that for all of my cars."

Newsweek has reached out to Mercedes-Benz for further information and comment.

Update 1/06/2023, 9.46 a.m. E.T.: This article was amended for clarity and to provide more context.