Cars aren't just cars, these days. They have to be stuffed with smartphone-like tech. Maybe it was inevitable, then, that they'd start using the subscription model of a phone app.As Electrek reports, drivers of several Volkswagen EV models will have to pay a monthly fee to unlock the full horsepower of their cars — at least in the UK, though we wouldn't rule out the scheme expanding to other markets.The affected models are the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4, which start at 201 horsepower. But if you want to tool around at a whopping 228 horsepower, you'll need to fork over $22 per month to the German automaker. You could also pay a one-time fee of $880 to access its full potential for life (and it transfers to a new owner if the car's sold), if you're that desperate for a little extra oomph.Sadly, this is the kind of nakedly cash-grabbing scheme that's been quietly picking up steam for years now. The wonders of internet-enabled tech have unlocked new avenues of squeezing extra money out of your customers who've probably blown way too much money on a car in the first place.Fellow German giants Mercedes-Benz, for example, offered a similar pay-to-win model with its EQE and EQS EV models, called "Acceleration Increase," allowing you to shave a few tenths of a second off their zero to 60 mph numbers. Here, the fees are even more outrageous at $60 per month or $600 per year for the EQE, and $90 per month or $900 per year for the EQS. Fun fact: that's German automaker-speak for "screw you, pay me."Tesla — everyone's favorite automaker right now — also has its own "Acceleration Boost" upgrade, which pretty much does the same thing for its cars, like the Model Y — except you'll have to shell out $2,000 up front, with no subscription plan available.The automotive microtransactions don't end there. Rounding out the German Big Three is BMW, which made itself a pariah when it started demanding customers pay $18 per month to unlock their heated seats, and $12 per month for heated steering wheels (it also previously tried paywalling Apple CarPlay and Android Auto behind a $80 per year fee, but backed down following backlash).The most egregious thing about all these examples is that they require zero physical modifications and only changing a zero to a one somewhere in the vehicle's software. These companies are denying you access to hardware you already paid for.It's a pretty grim trend, considering that cars are poised to get even more expensive once the full effect of Trump's tariffs sets in.In the meantime, oh valued customer, would you like to be bombarded by ads on your infotainment screen?More on EVs: Tesla Investors Are Suing Elon Musk Over His Disastrous Robotaxi DebutThe post Car Company Charges Monthly Fee for Its EVs to Drive Faster appeared first on Futurism.