You have to pay a subscription fee to get full horsepower on a Volkswagen ID.3
Published on Aug 23, 2025 at 1:35 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 21, 2025 at 3:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Volkswagen has introduced a subscription plan for those who want to get the full 228 horsepower out of the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro and Pro S.
The cars are both listed with 201HP, but if you pay a monthly fee, you can see it boosted to 228HP.
The subscription comes with a month’s free trial, after which you’ll need to pay to keep the more powerful Volkswagen ID.3.
You can also choose to go for a ‘lifetime’ subscription, which will remain with the ID.3 if it’s later sold to a new owner.
DISCOVER SBX CARS – The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Here’s how much a Volkswagen ID.3 subscription will cost
Once reserved for streaming services like Netflix and Spotify, cars are now offering subscriptions to get additional features like Tesla’s Full Self-Driving function.
More recently, Volkswagen has introduced a subscription for its ID.3 Pro and Pro S to boost its horsepower from the standard 201HP to 228HP.
Volkswagen’s beefed-up horsepower doesn’t impact the car’s range.
And because the car is registered as 228HP from the factory, owners won’t need to inform their insurance company if they do decide to subscribe.
VW is offering a one-month free trial, after which you’ll need to pay around $22 (£16.50) to keep the more powerful Volkswagen ID.3.
A lifetime subscription plan offer costs around $880 (£649) and remains with the vehicle even if it’s sold at a later date.
“Offering more power to customers is nothing new – historically many petrol and diesel vehicles have been offered with engines of the same size, but with the possibility of choosing one with more potency,” Volkswagen said in a statement.
“These traditionally are higher up in the product range, with more specification and a higher list price.
“If customers wish to have an even sportier driving experience, they now have an option to do so, within the life of the vehicle, rather than committing from the outset with a higher initial purchase price.”
BMW previously ditched subscription-only features
While VW and Tesla are sticking with their subscription plans, that wasn’t the case for BMW.
Back in 2022, the German carmaker announced it was introducing a subscription service that would include things like heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and adaptive high-beam headlights.
However, a few months on, BMW quietly dropped the service with a BMW board member telling The Verge ‘user acceptance [wasn’t] that high’.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
