---
title: "Ford CEO Says Heated Seat Subscriptions Unlikely"
description: "Ford CEO, Jim Farley, sees other, more relevant areas of opportunity when it comes to over-the-air updates and subscription services."
date: "2022-01-26"
modified: "2022-01-26"
authors:
  - name: "Peter Holderith"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/peter-holderith"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/44036/ford-ceo-says-heated-seat-subscriptions-unlikely"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Ford News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Ford"
---

# Ford CEO Says Heated Seat Subscriptions Unlikely

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2022/01/jim-farley-ford-ceo-says-no-to-heated-seat-subscriptions-lead.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

BMW has been catching flak lately for its plan [to charge a subscription fee for heated seats](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/34547/bmw-is-planning-to-sell-heated-seats-and-more-as-a-subscription-no-really>) in some of its new vehicles. The idea, as far as the automaker is concerned, is that you pay for them when you need them, and you don't pay for them when the weather gets warmer. This is, of course, a page right out of Tesla's strategy of [making its customers pay extra](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/43818/teslas-full-self-driving-will-jump-to-12000-and-the-only-winner-is-tesla>) to get the full capability of the onboard hardware. Not everybody is down with implementing subscription services in this manner, however. [Ford's CEO](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/42213/ford-ceo-jim-farley-isnt-trying-to-reinvent-the-wheel-just-everything-else-around-it>) for instance, has recently implied he's not too fond of it.

Speaking at an event during the media launch of the automaker's new electric [E-Transit van](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/37577/the-2022-ford-e-transit-is-an-all-electric-cargo-van-workhorse-starting-at-less-than-45000>), Jim Farley, the Blue Oval's chief executive, said that he would be "surprised if we charged for heated seats," according to [*Motor1*](<https://www.motor1.com/news/563134/ford-ceo-subscriptions-heated-seats/>). "I don’t think that’s our approach,” he said. Yet, this isn't to say that Ford is forgoing *all* possibilities of subscriptions. As far as what potential OTA updates Ford will offer on the commercial and retail front, Farley said it will depend on what a customer wants. “Maybe dynamic routing or coaching for the driver," he suggested. "I think there’ll be a subscription like we’re used to in content, but it will be customized based on the usefulness of the data.”

![message-editor%2F1643217036714-jimfarleyfordceosaysnotoheatedseatsubscriptions.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1643217036714-jimfarleyfordceosaysnotoheatedseatsubscriptions.jpg>)
**Ford**

So while you probably won't have to subscribe for heated seats, Farley is still [a big fan of over-the-air updates in general](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/42188/ford-wants-to-boost-f-150-lightning-pickups-range-through-ota-updates>). [Speaking to *The Drive*](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/42213/ford-ceo-jim-farley-isnt-trying-to-reinvent-the-wheel-just-everything-else-around-it>) last fall, Farley indicated that he wants to [boost the range](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/42188/ford-wants-to-boost-f-150-lightning-pickups-range-through-ota-updates>) of the [F-150 Lightning](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/40675/electric-2022-ford-f-150-lightning-is-finally-here-with-775-lb-ft-and-a-40k-sticker>)—as well as implement other interesting updates—over the air as well. Again, those updates likely won't include charging for basic features, but that doesn't mean the executive has a narrow vision of the prospects of connected vehicles. "There are lots of things we’re thinking about on the physical service side that’s enabled by a connected car," he told us.

Farley's statement this week comes after not only the Bavarians caught the heat of the news cycle for its subscription plans, but Toyota as well. The Japanese automaker, after announcing [remote start would eventually become a subscription](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/43329/toyota-made-its-key-fob-remote-start-into-a-subscription-service>) feature, is now ["reviewing" its decision](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/43636/toyota-reviewing-key-fob-remote-start-subscription-plan-after-massive-blowback>). Despite all the associated negative press, however, other automakers [like Stellantis](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/43432/stellantis-banking-on-22-5-billion-from-in-car-software-purchases-by-2030>) are still moving forward with plans to offer more software-heavy, subscription-focused vehicles.

*Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here**: peter@thedrive.com.*

## Author
Peter Holderith is a former staff writer for The Drive. He enjoys covering the regular news cycle, writing reviews, and hunting down long features on obscure pieces of automotive history.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-h-5ba447192/>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/_baldtires>)