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# The Subscription Model Is Now Your Car Seat
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/the-subscription-model-is-now-your-car-seat/
- Published: 2026-05-12T16:11:16.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-12T16:11:16.000Z
- Description: Automakers and appliance makers are monetizing features that used to come with ownership itself—heated seats, software updates, basic vehicle functions—by converting them into monthly subscriptions. This shifts the economics from selling products to selling access.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-consumer, subscription economy, attention economy, consumer behavior

Source: [NYT > Business](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/business/subscriptions-products-services.html?ref=adjacent.media)

Automakers and appliance makers are monetizing features that used to come with ownership itself—heated seats, software updates, basic vehicle functions—by converting them into monthly subscriptions. This shifts the economics from selling products to selling access. Once a feature is locked behind subscription, switching costs rise and churn becomes a key metric that matters more than manufacturing quality.