Mercedes is already offering some features on a subscription basis in China.
The power increase will allow a reduction in the 0 to 60 mph time of around 1 second.
Both the sedan and SUV versions of the EQE and EQS models will offer this upgrade.
More and more automakers are experimenting with subscriptions in order to secure a constant stream of revenue and Mercedes-Benz is among those companies.
After having offered the rear-wheel steering feature for the EQS electric sedan in China for a while now, the company is getting ready to offer a subscription-based add-on to its North American EV buyers.
Available on the EQE and EQS sedans and SUVS, this subscription will increase the peak horsepower and rework the torque curve of the electric motors in order to improve acceleration times.
Priced at $1,200 per year and available through the automaker’s Mercedes Me connected services, this feature will add 60 horsepower to the EQE 350 4MATIC models for a total of 348 horsepower.
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4MATIC | Photo: Mercedes-Benz
This will make it possible to go from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 96 km/h) in 5,1 seconds in the sedan and 5,2 seconds in the SUV, representing an improvement of 0,9 and 1,0 seconds respectively.
In the case of the larger and more expensive EQS 450 4MATIC models, the subscription will add 87 horsepower, bringing the new total to 442 horsepower.
Since these models are heavier than the EQE line, the acceleration times will see a similar improvement, with the sedan posting a time of 4,5 seconds and the SUV reaching 60 mph in 4,9 seconds. These figures show a respective improvement of 0,8 and 0,9 seconds.
Despite subscription-based business models being controversial in the automotive industry, Mercedes-Benz is betting that many buyers will decide to spend an extra $1,200 every year in order to take off around a second from their vehicle’s acceleration time.
