Mercedes-Benz is to offer an online subscription service in the US to make its electric cars speed up quicker.

For an annual cost of $1,200 (£991) excluding tax, the company will enable some of its vehicles to accelerate from 0-60mph a second faster. …

According to the Mercedes US online store, the feature “electronically increases” the output of the car’s motor, as well as the torque.

All told, it estimates this amounts to a 20-24% increase in output, allowing a Mercedes-EQ 350 SUV to accelerate from 0-60mph in about 5.2 seconds, as opposed to 6.2 seconds without the subscription.

[M-B is not the only automaker installing all sorts of hooks for “subscriptions” to EV features. Tesla does as well, and both Toyota and BMW are rolling out feature subscriptions too. This is yet another way in which EVs are too expensive and also too easily controlled by outsiders. Also, on the headline: please clap. 🙂 — Ed]