Volkswagen add subscription for horsepower in electric cars

Owners of the Volkswagen ID.3 electric hatchback in the UK can now increase engine output, but only by paying for an additional service.

On the official British website, the ID.3 Pro and Pro S models are declared with a power of 201 hp (150 kW). However, in fact, their power plant is capable of producing 228 hp (170 kW). To get an additional 27 hp and increase torque from 265 Nm to 310 Nm, two options are offered:

• subscription – from £16.50 per month (~$22);
• one-time payment – £649 (~$880).

According to the manufacturer, the additional power reduces acceleration to 100 km/h by approximately 0.3-0.5 seconds (from 7.5-7.9 to 7.0-7.4 seconds) and improves the response to the accelerator pedal, especially when overtaking and leaving intersections. The range does not change, because the upgrade is only related to software settings.

A one-time “unlocking” of power is tied to the car, not to the owner – when selling the car, the new equipment will remain with the next owner. There is no need to separately notify the insurance company, since the power of 228 hp is recorded in the documents from the factory.

Volkswagen notes that the additional service is currently only available in the UK. There are no plans to introduce such a model in the US or other European markets, likely out of fear of repeating the backlash BMW faced in 2022 when it offered a subscription for pre-installed options, including heated seats.

Similar paid software upgrades are also available from Polestar, which offers increased engine power for a fee.