Mercedes-Benz’s new chip-to-cloud architecture will be launched in 2024 and will first appear in the third-generation CLA.
Mercedes-Benz has provided the first details of its proprietary operating system MB.OS which is slated to roll out in new electric and internal combustion engine models based on the German automaker’s upcoming Mercedes Modular Architecture platform late next year.
The new chip-to-cloud architecture will appear for the first time in the new third generation LACproviding what Mercedes Benz CEO Ola Källenius describes it as “exceptional software capabilities”, including access to new integrated Google-based maps and services.
“We made the decision to be the architects of our own operating system. By combining this in-house expertise with selected partners, we will create an excellent customer experience, from driver assistance, navigation and entertainment to integrated charging.
“MB.OS will feature full upgradability and constant improvements,” Källenius said at the presentation of the new system at the Silicon Valley-based Mercedes-Benz R&D center in Sunnyvale, California.
While Mercedes-Benz conceived, designed and will produce the new architecture, its ability to integrate third-party applications will allow customers to choose their own services, content and features.
The partnership with Google will make Mercedes-Benz the first automaker to develop its own branded navigation based on car data and the navigation capabilities of the Google Maps platform, says Källenius.
“This will give Mercedes-Benz access to real-time and predictive traffic information from Google, automatic rerouting and more,” he says.
Additionally, Mercedes-Benz says that MB.OS will provide access to the location details provided by Google. Details such as business hours, photos, ratings, and reviews of over 200 million businesses and places around the world are included.
In addition to partnering with Google, Mercedes-Benz confirms that it is seeking further collaborations with leading software and hardware companies in a move that it says will ensure efficient development and rapid scalability of MB.OS.
Among the key development goals of the new operating system are enhanced mirroring of smartphones and region-specific content, including music, video, games, and office applications.
Offering full integration with electric drive systems, MB.OS is also claimed to provide more accurate range and power usage predictions for electric models.
Mercedes-Benz also says that MB.OS will play a crucial role in the planned launch of new Level 2 autonomous driving functions tailored for urban driving, as well as a new Level 3 autonomous driving function capable of operating at speeds of up to 130 km/h, both with new machine learning capabilities.
Partners for the new autonomous driving features include NVIDIA, which Mercedes-Benz says provides its expertise in software, data and artificial intelligence, as well as its Orin system-on-chip hardware. Collaborates with Luminar for new LiDAR and light detection sensors.
A partnership with YouTube will allow drivers to view video content on infotainment while using Level 3’s Drive Pilot autonomous driving system in countries where it is permitted.
More collaborations have been forged with Antstream for in-car gaming, as well as Webex and Zoom for in-car video conferencing, Mercedes-Benz says.
The new operating system MB.OS will be able to share data over a network with 5G over-the-air (OTA) functionality, which will bring possibilities for software upgrades and new features from select partners to offer to customers.
Mercedes-Benz says it expects MB.OS to provide substantial annual revenue streams “in the high single digits of a billion euros” by the end of the decade.
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