Popular car brand wants you to pay monthly to unlock more horsepower

Subscriptions. Subscriptions. It seems they are hard to escape these days. The average UK citizen, for instance, juggles three subscriptions per month for everything from video streaming to meal kits. Well, if you are one of those people and you buy a Volkswagen, that number might be about to become four, at least if you want to unlock the full power of the Volkswagen car you just bought.

According to Volkswagen, this optional power upgrade for its electric ID.3 range in the UK comes in at around £16.50 per month or £165 annually. A customer can also choose a £649 "lifetime" subscription, but that is tied to the car, not the individual. If you sell your car and buy another ID.3, you would have to pay the fee again. Paying for the upgrade will increase the horsepower of the ID.3 Pro and Pro S models from their standard 201bhp to the full 228bhp the hardware is capable of delivering.

Volkswagen, in a statement to the BBC, defended the decision by claiming the ability to purchase more power was "nothing new". A spokesperson for the car manufacturer drew a parallel to the past, stating, "Historically, many petrol and diesel vehicles have been offered with engines of the same size, but with the possibility of choosing one with more potency."

Volkswagen claims the option allows customers to get a "sportier" driving experience at any time without committing to a higher initial vehicle price.

Still, the idea of paying a monthly fee to essentially flip a boolean somewhere in the car's software might not sit right with people who believe they should get everything the hardware they paid for can offer. With these kinds of software-locked features becoming more common, it will probably not be long until someone figures out a jailbreak to unlock the performance without paying the recurring fee.

In case you missed it, a few days ago, another electric car manufacturer, Hyundai, came under fire for charging UK owners of the Ioniq 5 for a critical cybersecurity patch. That update was meant to fix a major security flaw that made the Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Genesis GV60 some of the most stolen cars in the country. You can check out our full coverage here.

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Posted Saturday 16 August 2025 at 6:00 pm AEST (my time).

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