An April study by Cox Automotive found that 75% of consumers are not willing to subscribe to most vehicle features. Drilling down deeper, 92% of respondents said heated and cooling seats should be included in a car's up-front price, and 89% said the same for remote-start functions.
There's a bill working its way through New Jersey's legislature that would ban carmakers from charging on a subscription basis for features that use hardware already built into a vehicle and don't cost the company anything to provide over time. Hackers have helped car owners upgrade their vehicles for years, and subscription features could be their next target, Vice reported.
Still, automakers see dollar signs. Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler), Ford, and GM each aim to generate at least $20 billion in annual revenue from software services by 2030.