The future of car ownership has arrived, and for many consumers, it looks less like innovation and more like a thinly veiled shakedown. Volkswagen, the German automotive giant, has ignited a firestorm of criticism with the launch of its new ID.3 Pro and Pro S models. The vehicles themselves are competent electric hatchbacks, but a deeply controversial feature hidden within their software is causing an uproar: a Volkswagen horsepower subscription that charges owners a monthly fee to access their car’s full performance potential.

Out of the showroom, the ID.3 delivers a maximum of 201 brake horsepower (bhp). However, the vehicle is physically capable of 228bhp—a feature locked away by its onboard software. To unlock it, an owner must pay Volkswagen $20 per month or a one-time fee of $760. This means no physical upgrade occurs; a simple digital toggle is flipped, granting access to power that was already present in the car they purchased and own outright. The announcement, highlighted in an August 17, 2025, social media post by Dexerto, was met with immediate and widespread derision from the automotive community and consumers alike.

Is a Horsepower Subscription the New Normal for Car Companies?

Volkswagen’s public relations team has scrambled to frame this move as a customer-centric innovation. In a statement to Autoexpress UK, a company representative argued that offering tiered power levels is a traditional practice, often linked to higher trim levels with steeper upfront costs. They posit that the subscription model offers flexibility, allowing a customer to opt for a “sportier driving experience” later in the vehicle’s life rather than committing to a higher initial purchase price.

This justification has done little to quell the anger. Critics and industry analysts point out a fundamental difference: in the past, a more powerful engine often involved different hardware. This new model involves software artificially limiting existing hardware to create a new revenue stream. It forces the buyer to pay repeatedly for a feature intrinsically built into their property. This approach tests the very definition of ownership, suggesting a future where manufacturers retain control over a product long after the sale is final.

How Does Volkswagen’s Strategy Impact Consumer Trust?

This is not the first time a major automaker has attempted to monetize features via subscription. BMW famously faced a massive consumer and media backlash in previous years for proposing a monthly fee for heated seats, a feature that required no ongoing service from the company. The backlash was so severe that BMW was forced to abandon the plan. Volkswagen’s move to gatekeep fundamental performance, however, represents a significant escalation.

Industry experts warn that such practices severely erode consumer trust. “It creates an adversarial relationship between the brand and the buyer,” notes an automotive analyst from J.D. Power, referencing the firm’s annual studies on automotive brand loyalty. “Consumers feel nickled-and-dimed for features they believe should be included in the purchase price of a premium product.” This strategy risks alienating a core customer base, especially in the competitive EV market where brand perception is crucial.

The debate touches on larger issues of right to repair and consumer rights. If a company can control a car’s horsepower through software, what prevents them from limiting range, top speed, or other critical functions without a recurring payment? For many, the Volkswagen ID.3 has become the poster child for a concerning trend toward turning personal vehicles into permanently leased products, where true ownership is a thing of the past.

The outrage over the Volkswagen horsepower subscription is a clear line in the sand for consumers worldwide. It represents a fundamental clash between corporate profit models and the traditional rights of ownership. As manufacturers increasingly use software to control hardware, the automotive industry must carefully consider whether short-term subscription revenue is worth the long-term cost of shattered consumer trust and brand loyalty. For now, the court of public opinion has rendered its verdict: accessing the full potential of a car you own should never require a monthly fee.

Must Know

What is the Volkswagen horsepower subscription?
The Volkswagen horsepower subscription is a service for the new ID.3 Pro models where owners must pay $20 per month or $760 upfront to unlock the car’s full 228bhp performance via a software update, as the vehicle is physically capable of this power but limited to 201bhp by default.

Is the Volkswagen ID.3 subscription mandatory?
No, the subscription is not mandatory. The car is fully functional at its base 201bhp. The subscription is purely optional for drivers who wish to access the additional 27bhp of power that the vehicle’s hardware already supports.

Have other car companies tried features like this?
Yes, other manufacturers have experimented with similar subscription models. Most notably, BMW tested a subscription for heated seats and for Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, but widespread negative feedback forced the company to cancel those plans prior to the 2025 model year.

Why is Volkswagen doing this?
Volkswagen states the subscription offers customers flexibility, allowing them to access higher performance later without paying a higher initial purchase price for a more powerful trim level. Critics argue it is solely a strategy to generate recurring revenue from features already built into the car.

Can I hack my car to get the extra horsepower without paying?
Tampering with a vehicle’s software to bypass paid features (often called “jailbreaking”) almost certainly violates the manufacturer’s warranty and could potentially be illegal under digital copyright laws like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the United States, voiding coverage and potentially exposing an owner to liability.

Will this become a standard practice?
The future of this practice depends entirely on consumer response. The fierce backlash against BMW’s and now Volkswagen’s attempts suggests that if consumers continue to vocally reject these models, automakers may be forced to abandon them to protect their brand image and sales.