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Exhausted: Why are car manufacturers pushing for subscriptions despite subscription fatigue?
Exploring the growing trend of subscription-based services in the automotive industry and its impact on consumers
Well, well, well. It seems car manufacturers are pushing for subscription-based services for features that are already included in our cars. Who exactly is asking for this? Well, aside from car manufacturers rubbing their hands together with the prospect of bringing in even more revenue, seemingly no one. Pay an additional $90 a month to make a car 0.2 seconds faster from a standing start? $65 to switch on the heated seats option? Insanity.
When I buy a car, I expect certain features to be included, plain and simple. Paying extra for something I already have? No, thank you. And with so many subscription-based services out there, it’s getting a bit overwhelming to keep track of them all.
Subscription fatigue feels like you’re swimming in a digital ocean filled with endless streaming platforms, software, online services, and food delivery all want a slice of your hard-earned cash every month — and now car manufacturers do too.
But aside from the additional revenue this would likely generate, why are car manufacturers pushing for…