Source: Fortune
BMW, Mercedes, and other manufacturers are now charging $15–$25/month for features like remote start and heated seats that were once included in the car's price, pushing average monthly car payments to $787—a 65% increase since 2020. Automakers are shifting from selling cars as products to treating them as platforms for recurring revenue. They use software locks to gate hardware features that buyers already own. The practice exploits timing: customers often discover subscription fees months after purchase, when removal costs are high and switching is difficult.