VIP Member JimC Posted July 13, 2022 VIP Member Share Posted July 13, 2022 From BBC News - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-62142208 BMW has sparked debate after offering an online subscription to turn on heated front seats in its cars in the UK for £15 per month. A monthly heated steering wheel subscription costs £10. Subscriptions have been available for features on BMW cars for some time in the UK, but the heated seat offer started this month. The company says customers can enable all hardware features for a one-time payment if they prefer. The features are available via BMW's ConnectedDrive online store and are activated remotely, with no need to visit a dealer. The heated seat offer is available in the UK, but the subscriptions that are available vary by country. The manufacturer told the BBC that "where heated seats, or any feature available in the ConnectedDrive store have been purchased when a customer vehicle is ordered, no subsequent subscription or payment is necessary". But the company argues that the ability to add new features can be helpful for owners who change their minds after purchase. And it is particularly useful, BMW wrote, for second-hand car owners, "as they now have the opportunity to add features the original owner did not choose". Subscriptions also enable drivers to "experiment with a feature by purchasing a short-term trial before committing to a purchase", the company added. However, unlimited use of a feature can be purchased. For £200, those with chilly hands can enjoy a warm wheel for "as long as the technical prerequisites are met for this vehicle". Hot debate The news has sparked online debate, with news site The Verge saying: "In the case of heated seats, for example, BMW owners already have all the necessary components, but BMW has simply placed a software block on their functionality that buyers then have to pay to remove." The Register said that while it could work as a way for owners to add features as they can afford them, "on the other hand, it may feel like buying a mug and having to rent the handle". A number of the reports note BMW's move is part of a wider industry trend with a range of car-makers offering subscriptions. There were negative comments on social media too, with one Twitter user writing: "Subscriptions for software is one thing, no-one is going to subscribe for heated seats or whatever, if I own the car I own everything in it." And Kurt Opsahl, general counsel of digital civil liberties campaign group the Electronic Frontier Foundation, tweeted: "A seat heater blocked by software is broken, and the car owner should have the right to repair their seats." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 ...and BMW just announced the name of their next 5-seat EV saloon, the BMW Avarice and the 2-seat EV city car, the BMW Rapacity. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Management Volant165 Posted July 14, 2022 Management Share Posted July 14, 2022 As BMW stands to lose their profit stream of after sales and warranty repairs (low maintenance EV's) they need to find a new place to stick their pokers. Early indications are that current BMW owners do not subscribe to the turn signal option 2 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludders Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 Won't be long before the aftermarket diagnostic tools will be switching them on for a much smaller fee 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIP Member digger Posted July 14, 2022 VIP Member Share Posted July 14, 2022 Modern cars continue to become more of a joke everyday as far as I'm concerned, but then, I'm a dinosaur!! Having owned three Beamers, 2 new, one nearly new, their reliability and dealer service was poor , similar to my experience with other German makes!! Overpriced junk with excellent marketing in my opinion. I'll stick to my No 1- Jeep and three other makes that have also been good to me thanks. If and when I sell my GC I may seriously consider buying an older ,simpler, safer car just to escape the technology which I have to pay for even when i don't want it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLUE STAR Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 BMW has quite an interesting history that aspiring owners don't know https://www.jpost.com/international/nazi-goebbels-descendants-are-hidden-billionaires-503531 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 3 hours ago, Ludders said: Won't be long before the aftermarket diagnostic tools will be switching them on for a much smaller fee That would be nice, but I suspect the unlocks will be key based using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology. The tool manufacturers wont be given access to BMW's private keys that will be required to generate new unlock codes. What makes me sick of greedy business practices like this is that the customer has already paid for the components and the factory labour to install them. BMW are not going to build them into cars for free, the customer pays for them. What's next, an unlock for 1,000 right turns and 2,000 left turns? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIP Member JimC Posted July 14, 2022 Author VIP Member Share Posted July 14, 2022 5 hours ago, V said: What's next, an unlock for 1,000 right turns and 2,000 left turns? You will have to pay a subscription if you want to drive your BMW on a Sunday 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIP Member Overlander21 Posted July 14, 2022 VIP Member Share Posted July 14, 2022 12 hours ago, Volant165 said: Early indications are that current BMW owners do not subscribe to the turn signal option 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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