FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a key interior component of its upcoming luxury electric sedan: a large, curved screen that runs nearly the width of the car in lieu of a conventional dashboard.
The company’s CEO says it is not only a selling point for customers, but also points to a potential source of new digital revenue.
The MBUX Hyperscreen option available on the EQS sedan coming later this year uses artificial intelligence to learn which features drivers use most, such as navigation and hands-free calling, and then keeps those features prominently on the screen, so drivers don’t have to hunt.
Ola Kallenius, CEO of parent company Daimler AG, said in an online video recorded on Thursday that the system should be very intuitive. “It just shows what’s needed: no scrolling, no browsing,” he said.
“It makes it so intuitive that whatever thing you want to do, be it navigation or music or whatever you want to do, you have that thing at your fingertips very quickly, very intuitively. You don’t have to scroll through many different layers, ”said Kallenius during a conference call with reporters.
For example, if the driver frequently uses the hot stone massage function in winter, the system will suggest that comfort function during cold weather. Or, if the driver regularly calls on the way home, the system proposes a call at the usual time.
The screen also allows the front passenger in some markets to watch TV, while the driver cannot look at the passenger’s screen to avoid distraction. If the passenger seat is not occupied, that part of the screen will only change into a decorative pattern. The most essential functions are displayed at the basic level of the screen so that the driver does not have to search for them, and the system also uses voice commands.
Kallenius said that when developing the display, the company focused on eliminating information and activities that could occupy drivers. “We wanted to reduce driver distraction and make the car safe,” he said.
The system also offers an opportunity to capture future digital revenues through subscriptions and streaming services available through the Hyperscreen option, such as a live traffic service. Kallenius said such services would be “a growing pool of subscription revenues and profit,” and that the company aims to grow digital revenues to $ 1 billion before interest and taxes by 2025.
Kallenius said the upcoming EQS luxury sedan would showcase the company’s efforts in digitization and electrification, two trends shaking up the industry. It is the first Mercedes car to be built on a fully electric frame rather than sharing components with an internal combustion model.
The EQS, the electric counterpart to Mercedes’ conventionally powered S-Class, is one of four battery-powered models coming this year as German automakers look to challenge electric car maker Tesla.