Car manufacturers are still looking for a way to implement more monetization techniques for their vehicles in an increasingly digital car era. Following this same line, Volkswagen He has opted for using a mechanism that has not been exempt from criticism: unlock all the power of its ID.3 through additional payment after the acquisition. The measure, which is already available in Spain and other European countries, marks a new and dangerous step towards payment subscriptions, also in cars.
More power, if you pay more. The ID.3 pro comes standard with 204 hp, but through this subscription (which they call ‘Power-on-Demand’) users They can access 231 hp that the same engine is capable of developing. The cost: 18.90 euros per month or a single payment of 629 euros. The improvement is accompanied by additional 45 Nm torque, reducing the 0-100 km/h from 7.6 to 7.1 seconds. This would bring the electric mechanics closer to that of his older brother, the ID.3 Pro s, both with a price difference of about 8,000 euros in the German market.
A dangerous approach to subscriptions. The era in which the owners have to pay more to unlock an existing capacity of the car has begun. The engine is configured to deliver that additional power from factory, but is blocked by software until the subscription is activated.
Volkswagen has not been the only one in the sector to implement this type of measures. This reminds us, for example, BMW’s controversial decisions With the heating seats, Mercedes with its improvements to Subscription accelerationor Polestar for offering similar performance packages.
Now, would you pay more to unlock this power? If we stick to The survey Made by the Global S&P firm, the percentage of customers willing to pay for connected services has fallen from 86% in 2024 to 68% in 2025. There is still a strong disposition, and that explains why these measures appear gradually.
VW’s justification. The German brand defend which offers “customer flexibility” and that historically there were already motors of similar displacement with different power levels in higher ranges. According to Volkswagen, it allows a “more sporty driving experience” without committing to a higher initial price. The update is done remotely through the multimedia system of the vehicle.
The small print. The update is available for vehicles with software version 3.2.1 and is linked to the car, not the owner, so it remains active in case of resale. If you have an older version of the software, you will have to stop the workshop to update to said version or higher. VW says that it does not affect autonomy or requires communicating it to the insurer, since the vehicle is approved with the maximum power from factory.
Cover image | Volkswagen
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