Of all the contentious subjects in the car industry right now, the most contentious is probably subscriptions. Since people are already balancing subscription services everywhere else, it’s not a fun thing to discover in your car, too. They represent a potential revenue generator for car companies, so they’re continuing to investigate the idea. A new take on them comes to us from Ford with a patent that could make subscriptions less onerous, even if it doesn’t solve the main issues.
2026 Ford Mustang FX PackageFord
Your Subscription Wouldn’t Be Restricted To One Car
What distinguishes Ford’s subscription idea is that it won’t be tied to a car, but rather to an account. So, in the same way that you can login to Netflix on compatible devices anywhere in the world, you could effectively do the same with a car. If you rent a Ford or Lincoln that has subscription-locked features, say, a new version of BlueCruise, you would be able to access that feature using your existing account.
Ford F-150Ford
It would also even allow for simultaneous logins across multiple cars, just like a service such as Netflix allows for a few multiple devices. If you own two or three Ford models, you would only have to pay the one subscription fee for all of them. Ford even suggests sharing your account with close family or friends. Odds are this would still be limited by however many vehicles Ford permits at a time, but it’s still a nice thought.
Ford F-150 displaying the use of BlueCruise hands-free driving.Ford
Even more interesting is how Ford suggests this idea of moving your subscription across multiple cars could even work across totally different automakers. Taking the idea of BlueCruise, you could potentially use the same subscription in a rental GM vehicle to access Super Cruise functions. This, of course, would require some impressive collaboration between brands, and probably a willingness to share user data. Considering how difficult it was for automakers to land on standardized charge ports, or even the on-going difficulties getting Android and Apple products to cooperate with things like messaging, that might be easier said than done.
Automakers Are Walking A Fine Line With Subscriptions
One of the earliest attempts at offering subscription-based features in a car came from BMW, and it went over quite poorly. The automaker announced plans to make heated seats something accessible via a subscription. This was particularly galling for a couple of reasons. One of the big ones was simply that, whether you paid for the subscription or not, all the hardware would’ve already been installed in the car, just locked behind some software that would demand you pay monthly. Plus, it was a feature that has always just been a one-time paid addition when the car was built. It went over so badly that BMW ended that subscription altogether.
heated seats controlsMike Bird via Pexels
Now automakers are trying to be a bit more thoughtful about what features are locked behind subscriptions. GM is mainly offering a subscription to Super Cruise via OnStar. The functionality still requires cars to have compatible hardware, but since the function is partly dependent on mapping and other data, GM does rack up some ongoing expenses to keep the function working, thus justifying it a bit. Of course, the company also noted that the continuous revenue is a big attraction, especially coming from vehicles that have already been sold. Volvo has also said it will likely focus on subscriptions for assist systems like that, and not things like heated seats. That doesn’t mean every automaker is being totally thoughtful, though, as recently Honda started charging a subscription fee for garage door opening functionality.
2025 Cadillac Optiq Super Cruise Driver POV Driving ViewCadillac
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
If automakers are truly hellbent on making subscription features a thing, the absolute least they can do is make it as flexible and accessible as possible. Ford’s idea does help somewhat by avoiding duplicated subscriptions and even the option of sharing with friends and family. However, automakers do need to be wary of the growing anti-subscription sentiment from consumers as everything in their lives becomes a never-ending cost. What could have been a lucrative business plan could end up turning away buyers altogether.
Source: US Patent and Trademark Office
