According to a recent Mercedes-Benz announcement, the annual upgrade fee for its EQE and EQS sedans and SUVs will drop from $1,200 to $600 or $900. In addition, the business now offers customers a lifetime upgrade option. With this action, Mercedes-Benz owners should have easier access to the upgrades.
For a yearly fee of $600 or $900, respectively, the EQE and EQS models can now receive the update. These costs are considerably less than the initial upgrade fee of $1,200 annually. Customers also have the option of paying a $60 or $90 monthly fee for the EQE or EQS, respectively. A lifetime upgrade fee of $1,950 or $2,950 is an alternative that they have.
It is currently unknown whether customers who chose the upgrade in November will get a prorated refund for the price difference or if they can pay more to add a lifetime upgrade. Mercedes-Benz has asserted that revving up the motors wouldn’t affect the driving range, though.
For some automakers, such as BMW, the idea of charging subscription fees for features like heated seats has been a contentious one. The features installed at the time of purchase, however, would be operational for the duration of the vehicle’s life, according to BMW’s statement to North American buyers.
It is anticipated that Mercedes-Benz’s decision to lower upgrade prices and provide a lifetime upgrade option will increase the accessibility of the upgrades for its customers. A lot more cars, especially electric cars, are probably going to keep doing this. Subscriptions or other methods are anticipated to be used by automakers in an effort to make up for lost revenue from internal combustion vehicle aftersales and service.
In conclusion, it is anticipated that Mercedes-Benz’s decision to lower upgrade prices and provide a lifetime upgrade option will be well received by its customers. Other automakers are probably going to follow this move as it will likely set a trend. Automakers will need to develop new strategies as demand for electric vehicles grows in order to make up for lost revenue from servicing and after-sales for internal combustion vehicles.
