Mercedes-Benz Will Make Its EVs Faster For An Extra $1,200 A Year

Mercedes-Benz dips its toes into the subscription-based performance upgrade race.

Previously, the pay-to-upgrade performance game was only a Tesla thing. Now, Mercedes-Benz has decided to follow suit, via a software upgrade, that promises to make the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS, and EQS SUVs quicker.

If you fork over $1,200 (plus tax, where applicable) to Mercedes-Benz once per year, your EQE or EQS can become anywhere from 0.8 to a little over 1 full second faster than standard. Called the “Acceleration Increase,” the feature is already being marketed on Mercedes-Benz’s website. The feature tangibly increases the power output of the EQE and EQS, by around 20 to 24%, according to Mercedes-Benz. That’s enough to take the EQE 350 4MATIC from 288 horsepower to 348 when equipped. Mercedes-Benz also says it enhances the vehicle’s torque curve, too.

Unfortunately, it seems that the Acceleration Increase upgrade is only available on the dual-motor 4MATIC versions of the Mercedes EVs. It’s also unclear if the upgrade can be done over-the-air, or if the vehicles will need to visit the dealer.

It isn’t clear if this will be successful for Mercedes-Benz. Certainly, Tesla has gotten away with the car ownership turned software-as-a-service model, but it seems to be an exception not the rule. Volkswagen, BMW, and others have flack from journalists and customers alike for the sort of DLC microtransaction style of content added to EVs, causing some brands to soften their stance on subscription services and features. Only time will tell if Mercedes-Benz’s Acceleration Increase will work in the marketplace.

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