Merc targets ‘digital leadership’
MERCEDES-BENZ’S NEW generation of app-based digital services will, in future, allow drivers to decide whether they wish to drive their car or let it drive itself.
Mercedes is the latest car maker to announce plans aimed at capitalising on the rapid development of digitalisation and automation in the car industry – and, crucially, on an important revenue stream.
Recently, the Volkswagen Group officially opened its Car.software unit, intended to raise the proportion of its cars’ software produced in-house, as it seeks to move away from being a hardwarefocused company.
Mercedes’ new “digital eco-system” initially comprises three main Mercedes Me apps already available to download, plus its own developer platform. This means Mercedes owners can now add functionality such as pre-conditioning the temperature inside their car or booking a service. One login is now required for all three apps.
This is the first step in the type of digital services Mercedes will offer. The firm’s boss of digital services, Mathias Vaitl, told Autocar: “This is just a starting point of a new era for the digital services business. An app is far more than a remote control. There’s a lot more to come: regarding safety, connectivity to other devices such as Apple watch – so that one’s whole life is connected. Our goal is to be the digital leader in the industry.”
One area where Mercedes’ digital services will play an important role is self-driving cars. Last month, Mercedes chief Ola Källenius announced a tie-up with Silicon Valleybased Nvidia, placing in-car computing power at the forefront of its business. The partnership will result in new systems in Mercedes models from 2024 that promise next-generation over-the-air software upgrades, to include automated driving features.
Vaitl said: “There will be special equipment on our cars that you can deactivate or activate via our digital services. Ola Källenius recently talked about automated driving – and this is one example where we will see activation and deactivation on demand.”
He said the new developer platform will let Mercedes develop and add functionality to its apps much quicker than previously. Although Vaitl wouldn’t detail upcoming features, he confirmed that Mercedes-amg performance models will have their own bespoke apps that are not available on other Mercedes.