FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – Mercedes-Benz Daimler has unveiled a key interior component of its future luxury electric sedan: a large, curved screen that spans almost the entire width of the car instead of a conventional dashboard.
The company’s CEO says that it is not only a point of sale for customers, but also indicates a potential source of new digital revenue.
The Hyperscreen MBUX option available on the EQS sedan, which will come later this year, uses artificial intelligence to find out what features drivers use the most, such as navigation and hands-free calling, and then keeps those features visible. so that drivers do not have to hunt.
Ola Kallenius, CEO of parent company Daimler AG, said in a recorded video posted online on Thursday that the system is intended to be extremely intuitive. “It shows just what is needed: no scrolling, no navigation,” he said.
“It makes it so intuitive that the thing you want to do, whether it’s navigation or music or whatever you want to do, that you have that thing very quickly, very intuitively, at hand. You don’t have to go through many different layers, “Kallenius said during a conference with reporters.
For example, if the driver often uses the hot stone massage function in winter, the system will suggest the comfort function in cold weather. Or, if the driver regularly calls on the way home, the system will suggest a call at the usual time.
The screen also allows the front seat passenger to watch television in some markets, while preventing the driver from watching the passenger screen to avoid distraction. If the passenger seat is not occupied, that part of the screen only changes to a decorative pattern. The most essential functions are displayed at the basic level of the screen, so that the driver does not have to look for them, and the system also uses voice commands.
Kallenius said that in developing the screen, the company focused on removing information and activities that could concern drivers. “We wanted to reduce driver distraction and ensure the safety of the car,” he said.
The system also offers the chance to capture future digital revenue through subscription and streaming services available through the Hyperscreen option, such as a live traffic service. Kallenius said such services would be “a fund to increase revenue and profit on subscriptions” and that the company aims to increase digital revenues to 1 billion euros before interest and taxes by 2025.
Kallenius said the upcoming EQS luxury limousine will showcase the company’s efforts in digitization and electrification, two trends that are shaking the industry. It is the first Mercedes car built on its all-electric frame, rather than sharing components with an internal combustion model.
EQS, the electric counterpart of the S-Class with conventional Mercedes engine, is one of the four battery-powered models coming this year, while German manufacturers are trying to challenge the electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla.