Photo: BMW
A decade ago, no one would have believed if you told them cars would get software updates like smartphones or computers. You'd probably get metaphorically stoned to death for saying a gym-like subscription business model would trickle into the automotive industry – but here we are. In fact, let's take a minute to thank our Tesla fanboys for willingly accepting subscription services and paving the way for other manufacturers to do the same.
It doesn't come as a surprise that the automotive industry is salivating over microtransactions. BMW owners shouldn't be shocked that the automaker will start selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month. It was only a matter of time before a major manufacturer made a move after Tesla.
BMW subscription plans rolled out for selected markets, including the UK, Germany, New Zealand, and South Korea. It is unclear when the model will be adopted for the American market.
BMW car owners will have to pay roughly $18/month to activate the front seat heaters (already installed on their vehicles) or a yearly total of $180 for the same. It gets better. Owners can also pay $300 for three years or $415 for 'unlimited' access.
The Bavarian automaker's consumers haven't received the news lightly. On the Reddit forum, owners expressed their anger in 28 different car communities, with over 4,000 comments on one subforum in the last 20 hours.
"That's like $216 before taxes a year. What if you drive conservatively and have the car for like 13 years? That's almost $3k just to warm your butt for half a year," a commenter snapped. "I'll wait for the article/YouTube videos on how to jailbreak your BMW," another commenter bluntly responded.
It's not the first time BMW is talking about microtransactions. In 2020, the auto manufacturer announced that it would introduce subscription services for luxury features, including adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, Android Auto, and Apple Carplay Services.
Ford, GM, and Toyota have also expressed their interest in the lucrative microtransaction model in years to come.
Based on BMW's UK eCommerce platform/digital store, other features that will need subscriptions include heated steering wheels ($12/month), camera recording feature ($235 unlimited use), and IconicSounds Sports package ($117 one-time fee).
While most BMW owners feel subscription services are a shady business model out to scam consumers, others think the automaker should have been wise enough and used the 'boil the frog approach.'
BMW subscription plans rolled out for selected markets, including the UK, Germany, New Zealand, and South Korea. It is unclear when the model will be adopted for the American market.
BMW car owners will have to pay roughly $18/month to activate the front seat heaters (already installed on their vehicles) or a yearly total of $180 for the same. It gets better. Owners can also pay $300 for three years or $415 for 'unlimited' access.
The Bavarian automaker's consumers haven't received the news lightly. On the Reddit forum, owners expressed their anger in 28 different car communities, with over 4,000 comments on one subforum in the last 20 hours.
"That's like $216 before taxes a year. What if you drive conservatively and have the car for like 13 years? That's almost $3k just to warm your butt for half a year," a commenter snapped. "I'll wait for the article/YouTube videos on how to jailbreak your BMW," another commenter bluntly responded.
It's not the first time BMW is talking about microtransactions. In 2020, the auto manufacturer announced that it would introduce subscription services for luxury features, including adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, Android Auto, and Apple Carplay Services.
Ford, GM, and Toyota have also expressed their interest in the lucrative microtransaction model in years to come.
Based on BMW's UK eCommerce platform/digital store, other features that will need subscriptions include heated steering wheels ($12/month), camera recording feature ($235 unlimited use), and IconicSounds Sports package ($117 one-time fee).
While most BMW owners feel subscription services are a shady business model out to scam consumers, others think the automaker should have been wise enough and used the 'boil the frog approach.'
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