FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a key interior component of its upcoming electric luxury sedan: a large curved screen that spans virtually the entire width of the car instead of a conventional control panel .
The company’s CEO says it’s not only a selling point for customers, but also points to a potential source of new digital revenue.
The MBUX Hyperscreen option available in the EQS sedan that will arrive later this year uses artificial intelligence to find out which features drivers use the most, such as navigation and hands-free phone calls, and then keeps these features prominently on the screen so drivers don’t have to hunt.
Hi Kallenius, CEO of parent company Daimler AG, said Thursday in a recorded video submitted online that the system is thought to be highly intuitive. “It just shows what it takes: no scrolling, no navigation,” he said.
“It makes it so intuitive that whatever you want to do, be it browsing or music or anything you want to do, that you have this thing very intuitive in your hand. You don’t have to move through different layers, ”Kallenius said during a conference call with reporters.
For example, if the driver often uses the hot stone massage function during the winter, the system will suggest this comfort function during the cold. Or, if the driver calls regularly back home, the system will suggest a call at the usual time.
The screen also allows the front seat passenger to watch TV in some markets, while preventing the driver from seeing the passenger screen to avoid distractions. If the passenger seat is not occupied, this part of the screen only changes to a decorative pattern. The most essential functions appear at the basic level of the screen, so 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 worry drivers. “We wanted to reduce driver distraction and protect the car,” he said.
The system also offers the ability to capture future digital revenue through the subscription and streaming services available through the Hyperscreen option, such as a live traffic service. Kallenius said these services would be “a growing set of subscription revenue and profits” and that the company aims to increase digital revenue to 1 billion euros before interest and taxes by 2025.
Kallenius said the upcoming EQS luxury sedan 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 structure instead of sharing components with an internal combustion model.
The EQS, the electric equivalent of Mercedes ’conventional-propelled S-Class, is one of four battery-powered models this year, while German vehicle manufacturers are trying to challenge electric vehicle maker Tesla.