[caffeineAM]

Makes me wonder when car makers will start doing these things here too. The spectrum going away and disabling features you paid for earlier has to be the worst.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MXgnecxVeU

[GutsyGibbon]

This is probably because of how features are packaged. The remote start is packaged with Premium audio service. The remote start itself does not need cellular connectivity to operate, so if you dont care much for Premium audio, and you just listen to audio from your phone, or FM radio, you are going to be denied of Remote start functionality (the one done from key fob). If the key fob feature is detached from this package, the subscription for premium connectivity would make sense.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/12/...-start-key-fob

[RahulNagaraj]

Toyota to offer key fob remote start function as a subscription service; Charges $80 / year

According to media reports, all Toyota models from 2018 onwards will need a subscription to use the key fob's remote start functionality. Reports suggest that Toyota offers a range of connected services when purchasing a new model - one of them is the 'Remote Connect' which allows owners to start their cars using their key fobs.



While there is a free trial period, the 'Remote Connect' plan is interlinked with other connected and audio service packages as well. Post the free trial period, Toyota owners will have to shell out either US$8 / month or US$80 / year for the continued usage of the remote start function.

Source: TheDrive

Link to Team-BHP news

[MotoBlip]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

Toyota to offer key fob remote start function as a subscription service; Charges $80 / year

According to media reports, all Toyota models from 2018 onwards will need a subscription to use the key fob's remote start functionality. Reports suggest that Toyota offers a range of connected services when purchasing a new model - one of them is the 'Remote Connect' which allows owners to start their cars using their key fobs.

Attachment 2244984

While there is a free trial period, the 'Remote Connect' plan is interlinked with other connected and audio service packages as well. Post the free trial period, Toyota owners will have to shell out either US$8 / month or US$80 / year for the continued usage of the remote start function.

Source: TheDrive

Link to Team-BHP news

Toyota taking inspiration from Mercedes lol. Resorting to these techniques for an extra buck or two is really quite classless. Shame on you Toyota!!

[skarface]

Yikes! Did not expect something like this from Toyota, it is just a matter of time that this "subscription" features will be lapped up by the other car brands.
I sincerely hope that the standards do not stoop down to the level that every other feature on a car will be activated on subscription basis.
Utterly ridiculous!

[kkunal.shah]

What next, pay **$ annually to open your car & drive?

All businesses have understood the concept of Customer Lifetime Value & do not want to let go of any opportunity to earn more from the same customer.

[AKSarkar1]

What's next, charging 50 cents per engine start or 10 cents every time we use app connect in the car? Truly ridiculous! I believe until now the car world has seen mainly the pros associated with smart connected technology but this post is clearly an example of a possible con.

Most of us petrol heads systematically choose which variant to go in for after a detailed analysis of the feature list vs price etc. I for one wouldn't want to pay for anything apart from maintenance once the car is purchased.

Just to play the Devil's advocate, this might just end up being something favourable in case the cost of purchasing the car drops and one can opt for such features later on. While this might appeal to the frugal side of me, I am not sure the car enthusiast side of me likes this for the reasons described by fellow BHPians in this thread already.

[SideView]

Car makers need to find ways to monetise, but honestly this is not it. Feels cheap tbh.

Dont they make enough profit upfront unlike smartphone makers to go for these cheap tactics?

[DicKy]

Yikes!!!

Toyota seems to be learning the wrong stuff from their Bavarian friend. Really, the last company that I thought would stoop low for fancy subscription stuff.

But this looks fairly simple to bypass, since there isn't actually a need for network for the remote start to function.

Next what? Safety features won't activate since you missed a payment?

[lemedico]

India should monetise the usage of high beams and of honking. That would be a good use of this otherwise silly upcoming business strategy

[Hulk]

This seems like "additional revenue stream" ideas suggested by McKinsey/BCG, and very stupid of Toyota to have gone ahead and implemented it without considering how it's going to be perceived, what's the car buyer's purchasing behavior, and many other factors.

This "subscription for feature" model might work well in software world, but the average auto buyer isn't ready for it yet.

[Slick]

Ridiculous at best.

Based on my understanding subscription can be of two types
1. Capital expenditure (Core features)
2. Value added services

The whole point of subscription services in the capital type is that the initial investment is smaller and hence if a person wishes to not avail the services or wishes to avail in smaller quantities, It would be financially beneficial.

A car unlock/lock feature cannot be considered a value add service but more a part of key functions( pun not intended).

Charging subscription for a value added service is acceptable/ even expected, but not this.

Toyota has a habit of taking advantage of their USP, "Reliability & VFM" a bit too much. I don't see this flying with any customer.


- Slick

[atmosphere]

What a brazenly insane way of making profits. So gentlemen what i don't understand here is :

For this subscription there is no remote cloud connections over cellular network etc to Toyota servers to enable or disable features.

This is actually a simple old physical proximity based radio connection between the key fob and the car receiver

So how would this be enforced upon . Will it be like Toyota or its dealer set this feature on to the car ecu or other unit depending upon what subscription consumers choose.

Even if they do this , i assume consumers can bypass this, or install some other aftermarket OEM remote.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by atmosphere

So how would this be enforced upon . Will it be like Toyota or its dealer set this feature on to the car ecu or other unit depending upon what subscription consumers choose. Even if they do this , i assume consumers can bypass this, or install some other aftermarket OEM remote.

The logic can be in the car receiver. If there is no active subscription, disable remote start. Anything done on the OEM remote would be rendered useless as the car is doing the check for subscription.

[BigB]

This is ridiculous. I pay for my car, I own it. Period. What recurring expense does the manufacturer have on my car once I have bought it? The Auto Manufacturers have got a foot in the door. It will be very difficult to stop them now.

Today it is a yearly subscription, tomorrow it will be monthly subscription with months having festivals and long weekends being charged more.
Today it is the premium features, tomorrow it will also include basic features.
Today it is the 4 wheeler industry, tomorrow it will the 2 wheeler industry as well.

What if some one is in area with no mobile connectivity and a subscription expires?

On a lighter note, imagine you are driving at 120 kmph on a highway and you get a message for your manufacturer, “Your subscription to braking services has just expired”..