Tesla Prepares To Turn Heated Front Seats and Wipers Into Paid Features

[MEDICALJMP]

Tesla Prepares To Turn Heated Front Seats and Wipers Into Paid Features
15 Nov 2023, 13:12 UTC • By: Cristian Agatie

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...ats-and-wipers-into-paid-features-224519.html


Tesla's 2023.38.8 software update brings surprising changes for the 2024 model-year EVs. Among them are support for electronic toll devices, improved driver assistance systems, and paid heated front seats and wipers. The latter is already causing uproar on social media, as people remember BMW's failed attempt to charge a subscription for heated seats.Tesla's 2023.38.8 software update brings surprising changes for the 2024 model-year EVs. Among them are support for electronic toll devices, improved driver assistance systems, and paid heated front seats and wipers. The latter is already causing uproar on social media, as people remember BMW's failed attempt to charge a subscription for heated seats.

Software-defined vehicles are all the rage, allowing carmakers to tailor the ownership experience and offer more feature granularity. It also introduced the concept of subscriptions for various features that can be enabled or disabled in software. The idea was taken too far by legacy carmakers, desperate to find additional revenue streams. Toyota tried to charge its customers for using the keyfob remote even for actions that don't require server support, while BMW went even further.

The German carmaker will probably remain in the automotive history for annoying its customers the most. In the summer of 2019, BMW introduced paid CarPlay subscriptions, something that all other carmakers offered for free to its customers. After pointing out that Apple doesn't charge BMW anything for this feature, BMW customers won a victory when the Germans tossed the plan by December of the same year.

You'd think they learned their lesson, but they didn't. Anyone can make an honest mistake, but repeating the same mistake requires German stubbornness. In July 2022, BMW introduced heated seat subscription plans, sparking outrage among its user base. This remained in the collective memory, but BMW also wanted to charge for the heated steering wheel, camera recording, and even for fake exhaust sounds played through the multimedia system. As you can imagine, BMW dropped the heated seat subscription, although later than expected, in September 2023.

It's probably safe to assume by now that customers hate paying for something that their vehicles already have. Unless they are Tesla customers, of course. The EV maker already charges extra for heated rear seats in its entry-level models. You can activate them anytime for a one-time fee of $300, as long as your Tesla has them built in from the factory. On the other hand, heated front seats were offered as standard on all Tesla EVs. This is also true for the heated wipers added to the Model 3 and Model Y last year.

This might not be the case going forward, as the latest software update hints. According to ethical hacker Green (@greentheonly), the 2023.38.8 software build indicates that the heated front seats and wipers will soon become paid features for new vehicles. It's unclear whether this is for all 2024 base models or only those sold in specific markets.

Tesla might have chosen to drop the standard convenience features from the most affordable models to lower the base price even more. This way, they can become eligible for state subsidies in certain countries. Owners can activate the missing features after delivery by paying the corresponding fee.

Alongside this change, Green also discovered that the Model Y RWD has its range software limited to 260 miles. This implies that the battery pack is not different from the one in the Long Range variant, presumably to comply with the new IRA tax credit conditions that enter into effect next year. The software also shows that Tesla might integrate an electronic toll device, as the user interface has been updated to allow controlling it.

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I am hoping Tesla is not going down the path of the Evil Empires of legacy auto. This kind of action could alter my decision of purchase.

 

[satadioz]

I will sell my tesla if subscription based model goes that far

 

[lowtek]

They won't take away what you already have ... Very curious why, though, considering BMW's failure. I guess we need to wait and see ...

 

[LoneWolfO6]

Oh let’s pay for regenerative braking, and auto dimming mirrors too! Maybe the use of the cameras while changing lanes. Wait! Go all out, and throw some nitrogen in the tires for $500 extra.

 

[Regenshire]

This likely exists in code due to the market pressure (interest rates, ect) to lower pricing more and more, so they have another lever to offer a barebones option that is priced even lower while still maintaining options with current pricing and giving them a feature to set them a part.

That would be my assumption as to why Tesla might consider doing this again (I am pretty sure they did this for a short time in the past as well). Right now range and speed are the only real differences between most models.

I am not a big fan of software locked hardware features as a consumer, but I can understand it from a business standpoint when they have all this downward price pressure for some people to buy while also trying to maintain margins.

 

[ÆCIII]

Doesn't sound very likely to me at all.

If Tesla was of that mindset, we'd already be paying for each of our navigational map updates like legacy auto charges their customers.

First, I don't know that Tesla even has heated wipers.

Second, either of these 'software restrained features' for a heated wiper or heated seats would be easy enough to bypass because they are basically a heating element requiring a 12 Volt DC current source. It might require an extra switch or button but it could be very easily done to avoid an oppressive type subscription.

So I think it would not only be unsuccessful in sheep take rate, but also an embarrassment if Tesla wanted to treat their vehicle owners that way. Tesla is much better than that.

- ÆCIII

 

[Regenshire]

It should be noted that Tesla did have these as an upgrade option in the past. I knew I remember this being a thing for a while.

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-3-rear-heated-seats-standard-range/

Back in 2020 the SR Model 3, Tesla's cheapest vehicle at the time, had the rear heated seats disabled. You could pay $300 for an OTA update to unlock them.

 

[ÆCIII]

It should be noted that Tesla did have these as an upgrade option in the past. I knew I remember this being a thing for a while.

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-3-rear-heated-seats-standard-range/

Back in 2020 the SR Model 3, Tesla's cheapest vehicle at the time, had the rear heated seats disabled. You could pay $300 for an OTA update to unlock them.

Yes, but that was still a one time feature purchase. I think Tesla was also doing such a one-time upgrade option for Premium Sound System activation. But I don't think such features would ever be sought after via subscription. Can you imagine bragging to your passengers that you were paying subscription fees for heated seats and then what they would think of you?? Of course the real delusional marketeers would want to charge not monthly but by the minute for heated seats like supercharger fees.

- ÆCIII

 

[ninja6r]

If they do this, guess we'll see the return of this man

 

[CyberGus]

I expect to pay more to get more.

I think BMW's failure was renting the seat heaters for a monthly fee. Paying Netflix monthly to provide a service is one thing, but I'm not gonna keep paying for the DVD sitting on my shelf.

 

[rlhamil]

I am not a big fan of software locked hardware features as a consumer, but I can understand it from a business standpoint when they have all this downward price pressure for some people to buy while also trying to maintain margins.

Neither am I, and except for a bottom-end vehicle where one can pay to enable extra features, I don't see the sense in it.

But IBM has done that for years with its mainframes, called Capacity on Demand or something like that; pay extra (you pay by usage on them, not just for the machine itself!) and they enable extra CPUs that are already installed. I suppose it makes sense if your workload jumps, rather than the disruption of switching to a new bigger system.

 

[Regenshire]

Yes, but that was still a one time feature purchase. I think Tesla was also doing such a one-time upgrade option for Premium Sound System activation. But I don't think such features would ever be sought after via subscription. Can you imagine bragging to your passengers that you were paying subscription fees for heated seats and then what they would think of you?? Of course the real delusional marketeers would want to charge not monthly but by the minute for heated seats like supercharger fees.

- ÆCIII

GreenTheOnly (the source who found the code), never said this was a subscription option. They stated "Front heated seats and heated wipers are turning into paid features (for new cars?)"



I was approaching this discussion from a one-time paid turn on feature. l had read the actual post earlier, so I guess I missed that the article implies it would be a subscription.

I agree, who in their right mind would want to pay a monthly subscription fee for this?

 

[ÆCIII]

Neither am I, and except for a bottom-end vehicle where one can pay to enable extra features, I don't see the sense in it.

But IBM has done that for years with its mainframes, called Capacity on Demand or something like that; pay extra (you pay by usage on them, not just for the machine itself!) and they enable extra CPUs that are already installed. I suppose it makes sense if your workload jumps, rather than the disruption of switching to a new bigger system.

Cloud Service Providers and 'Capacity on Demand' are different because they have to allocate data center resources including server instances and data storage, which take capacity of hardware and power which was not previously in use or paid for.

But if Cloud Service Providers were already charging you a set amount for monthly compute resources but then also tried to charge you for application session time on top of it, then that would be ridiculous, because it's just milking of another descriptor for flipping 1's and 0's.

Now, if these discussed features in posts above, are actually Not Subscription but just a One Time fee as @Regenshire mentions above, then really the point is moot because car companies and dealers have been providing upgrade packages and options for decades. Only difference is if part or all of the feature is already in the car, and/or whether or not a dealer visit would be required to install or activate a feature. But the end result is the same. Still, when something is 'pre-installed' there's always the chance the owner might be able to activate it if it's something simple like a heater pad in a seat. There's probably YT videos out there on that already.

- ÆCIII

 

[JBee]

Wham bam Tesla scam.

That's a bogus argument to keep the price "lower".

They can lower the price without turning off the hardware they have already installed. They would only save money if they left the seat out.

Plus heated seats adds range, so double dumb in my book.

 

[sstevens805]

If I get pulled over, I'm going to tell cop:

I'm sorry officer I don't know how fast I was going. Things have been a little rough lately and I haven't been able to renew my turn signal or speedometer subscription.