A company charges $1,200 to make its electric cars more spirited

After BMW started charging customers to unlock the seat heating system on certain models, now another German brand has come out with a similar announcement.

Mercedes-Benz will make some electric cars in its portfolio go from 0-60mph one second faster in return for $1,200 a year, BBC News reports.

The “Acceleration Increase” feature will be available on the Mercedes-EQ EQE 350, EQS 450 and their SUV versions.

The German luxury brand also stirred controversy when it asked for money to unlock, on the 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQS, the Customization Package. It cost 89 euros at the time and allowed owners to play Tetris, Sudoku, Shuffle Puck and Pairs on the car’s display. The package also included customizations for the car’s lights and sound.

Also read: German car brand charges customers $18/month for heated seats

With the Acceleration Increase package activated, the Mercedes-EQ EQE 350 goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, compared to 6 seconds without it. The cheapest version of the car costs about $75,000.

How to increase the acceleration of Mercedes-EQ cars with Acceleration Increase subscription activated:

The company’s decision was not well received by experts. Jack McKeown, chairman of Scottish Motoring Writers, said Mercedes’ approach was wrong. “Mercedes is asking you to pay for hardware that is already installed in the car – and from which we assume it has already made a profit when you bought the car,” he said.

McKeown hopes car companies will abandon the strategy in the face of a backlash from customers.

Photo Credit: Mercedes-EQ

Also read: IEA: 2022 a better year for the environment, thanks to electric cars and renewables