Hyundai considers paywall for car features
Reports are surfacing that Hyundai may be considering moving to a “paywall” system for some vehicle features, at least in selected markets, specifically Europe. It isn't clear if the scheme will make its way to North America but, as with all things which impact a household budget, it's worth staying informed on the possibility.
There is a chance the automaker will introduce subscription services for certain on-board features through its recently formed Hyundai Connected Mobility (HCM) program, Marcus Welz, head of the program, told U.k.-based Autocar.
European arms of the brand describe HCM as a tool dedicated to help it “deliver on its transition towards software-defined vehicles,” with an ultimate goal of “a range of digital in-car and in-app services.”
Alert readers will recognize that those terms, taken verbatim from a Hyundai site in the E.U. market, leave the door wide open for pay-per-use car features. Indeed, the official bumfs go on to talk about connected car services, a string of words which can cover something as simple as remote unlocking, but can also encompass a monthly subscription for heated seats.
To be clear, precisely none of this is confirmed for Canada, though it is worth noting your author's good buddy recently balked at the purchase of a new Santa Fe after learning the remote-start function — controlled through a complimentary three-year trial of Bluelink — would vanish in 36 months unless he ponied up for a monthly Bluelink subscription.
With that reality currently part of the Hyundai-buying decision in Canada, it is arguable that soft paywalls are already here. Of course, forking over a grand to install a permanent remote-start system, as customers have been doing for decades, is a solution — unlike the hypothetical customer who wakes up one morning to find their heated seats now come with a fee attached.
Still, the spectre exists. Digging through the European site for Hyundai PR, we find ample mention of what it calls Features-on-demand (FODS). “Like apps,” the page describes, “you can purchase FODS and enable specific features or upgrades for your car — even after it leaves the lot.”
This is precisely the sort of thing which BMW, at least temporarily, abandoned after public outcry over the thought of having to pay extra each month in perpetuity for a heated steering wheel.
We will posit this is different from, say, paying for a subscription to satellite radio. In that example, one is giving money to a third party in exchange for a service which employs hundreds of people.
Paying monthly to simply access a feature which is installed on your car is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.