Select countries will get heated seats from BMW as the car maker is now selling subscriptions for the new feature.
This move by BMW is the "latest example of the company's adoption of microtransactions for high-end car features," according to The Verge.
For $18 you can get heated front seats for a month. You also have the option to pay annually for $180, or get it for three years for $300. You may also opt to pay for "unlimited" access for $415.
Heated Seats Are Available in Select Countries Only
According to Engadget, "front-seat heating is one of many optional add-on software upgrades available in BMW's ConnectedDrive stores in the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, New Zealand and South Africa."
Automatic high beams is also available for an extra monthly charge of roughly $12, while steering wheel heating is roughly $12 as well.
The heated seats, however, seems to be not available in the US yet.
According to The Verge, they asked BMW for the exact details of the heated seats' roll-out, but the company was unable to say when the subscriptions had been launched in which countries.
According to the news outlet, BMW's silence isn't surprising anymore as the company was flooded with criticism since it announced in 2020 that "its cars' operating system would allow for microtransactions on features like automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control."
It appears like it's been a trend for carmakers to charge customers more money for high-end features. However, when software instead of hardware is the limiting factor, the dynamic is very different.
For instance, in the case of heated seats, BMW owners already have all the necessary components. However, the car company has simply put a software block on their functionality so buyers would have to pay to remove the block.
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BMW Offers Subscription for a Number of Software Upgrade
To get the heated seats features installed, BMW drivers in the select countries won't have to take their cars to a service shop.
In fact, the hardware for the heated seats is already there, owners will only have to pay an extra fee to activate them. The activation is done through an over-the-air software upgrade on BMW's ConnectedDrive platform.
It also through ConnectedDrive platform where owners can pay to unlock other features locked behind an annual subscription. These other features include safety camera alerts for $30, and access to an online music library for $213 a year.
There is no announcement from BMW yet when the company plans to add heated seats to its ConnectedDrive store in the US. However, microtransactions has been known to BMW drivers in the country.
Previously, BMW faced a backlash after charging an annual fee of $80 for Apple CarPlay. The company eventually stopped doing it.
However, according to Engadget, the pay-per-feature model remains alive and well in the US. The BMW drivers in the country have to pay extra for a number of software upgrades. This include $50 per year to access ConnectedDrive. After the third year, there's also $200 per year charge to update the car's navigation maps.
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