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Mercedes-Benz's voice assistant will soon support Samsung SmartThings
You'll be able to control your smart home gadgets while you're on the road.
Inside the Mercedes concept that's part taxi, part delivery van
Delivering packages and delivering people is currently done with two different vehicles. Mercedes-Benz would like to change that with its pure electric, autonomous Vision Urbanetic concept vehicle. The modular van can be both a people carrier and a way to ship items around town.
Live from the Mercedes-Benz CES 2019 press conference!
Amidst all the TVs and IOT devices, CES is becoming a rather important auto show. So it's no surprise that Mercedes-Benz will be unveiling a car at the annual desert conference. Based on the teasers from Mercedes, it'll almost be the new CLA coupe brimming with new tech like company's outstanding voice-powered MBUX infotainment system that was shown off at last year's CES.
Follow along with our CES 2019 liveblogs!
It's early January, so you won't be surprised to learn that team Engadget has arrived in Las Vegas for CES 2019. While the show doesn't technically start until Tuesday morning, a flood of new product news will be arriving in the coming hours -- and we'll spend most of Monday attending the CES press conferences from the industry's biggest players. As usual, you can expect to see a bevy of bigger, better screens, more smart home tech, more Alexa and Google Assistant and quite a bit about the future of auto. But we're also hoping to see the oddball, offbeat but potentially ground-breaking tech that makes CES more than just a TV show. Sure, the big companies don't always surprise us like they used to, but we're betting there's still going to be plenty we didn't expect -- and it all starts with these events. Join us, won't you?
The Mercedes CLS 450 is a luxury mild hybrid for hipsters
While Mercedes is pushing its EQ brand of hybrids and EVs, the two-letter electric signifier also resides in the automaker's more traditional vehicles. In the new 2019 CLS 450 (starting in approximately the low $70,000s), electrons are used to give the car a boost when you need it or turn the engine off while the vehicle is cruising at highway speeds. It's a wonderful feature on a wonderful car, and except for some old tech, the CLS 450 makes you forget Mercedes is calling it a coupe even though it has four doors.
Mercedes-Benz unveils its first electric SUV
At an event in Sweden Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off its first proper electric vehicle under the EQ brand. The EQC (official name: EQC 400 4Matic) is the automaker's crossover foray into electrified vehicles. With a smooth space-age design, the company calls an "avant-garde electro-look" the EQ is sure to turn heads when it lands on US shores in 2020.
The electric Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow is retro quick
There's no shortage of electric concept cars based on vehicles of the past. But that's doesn't mean I'm any less excited about the Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow. Based on the W 125 Benz from 1937, the single-seater concept car looks like its ready for a driver with goggles and leather helmet.
Mercedes' new, affordable A-Class sedan is as smart as it is sleek
There's a lot to say about Mercedes-Benz's US-bound A-Class. It's a car of many firsts: The first A-Class model to appear in the US when it hits dealerships later this year; the first A-Class sedan, well, ever (earlier Euro-spec models were glorious hatchbacks). And since we've been dutifully tracking the ways our cars are becoming more like smartphones, it's important to note that this is the first vehicle to feature Mercedes' voice-driven MBUX interface.
Daimler and Bosch will use NVIDIA to power self-driving taxis
Putting self-driving cars on the streets requires a lot of computing power. Most test cars on the road have PC towers in their trunk that take up space, suck up power and produce a lot of heat. With that in mind Daimler (the parent company of Mercedes-Benz) and Bosch have announced they will be using the NVIDIA Drive Pegasus self-driving AI platform.
Mercedes-Benz will test self-driving cars on public roads in Beijing
Daimler will soon take its Mercedes-Benz self-driving cars to the public streets of Beijing. It's the first non-Chinese company to win a license to test level 4 self-driving vehicles there. Level 4 is the second-highest tier of autonomous driving, in which cars can operate without human input in select conditions. Eventually, you might be able to take a nap while these types of vehicles ferry you around.
Amazon is buying 100 electric Mercedes delivery vans
Amazon is the latest company adding electric vehicles to its fleet. The e-commerce juggernaut has ordered 100 of Mercedes-Benz's eVito transit vans, which Mercedes says will hit the market next year. While the vans' range might seem limited (150 - 100 Km, depending on the use conditions; 62 miles - 92 miles) that covers a lot of ground in a city environment. A full charge will take six hours, and Amazon's eVito deployment will take place by the end of next year, according to a statement from Mercedes.
Here maps helps the Mercedes S560 tackle sharp corners
As the car approaches a sharp bend on a back road in Northern California, the $155,000 (starting at $99,900) Mercedes-Benz S560 slows down of its own accord. I guide it through the corner with a bit of help from lane keep assist. Then, as the vehicle exits to a straightaway it accelerates back to the adaptive cruise-control speed setting until it encounters another switchback.
Google and Apple might lose the infotainment war
Android Auto and CarPlay are both pretty great. You plug your smartphone into your car and you're greeted with a familiar set of icons. In most vehicles on the road, it's an improvement. Why wade through a confusing interface, when two of the biggest tech companies in the world have made it easy for you to use the map and media apps you already know? But in the tech world, if you're not constantly improving, something else will appear -- and automakers, they're not sitting around.
Mercedes eSprinter's range is meant for deliveries, not road trips
Mercedes' eSprinter van is designed as a purely commercial vehicle. Need more proof? Once it goes on sale, it'll have a pair of battery options, but neither will get you further than 93 miles, according to Electrek. While that sounds nightmarish if you're hoping to take a long jaunt on the highway, delivery vehicles typically spend their time in the city making short trips. Top speed can also be limited to 50 MPH to eke out extra range, otherwise it's capped at 75 MPH. The van's 84 kilowatt electric motor produces 300 Newton meters (221.3 lb.-ft) of torque.
Mercedes has a luxury car subscription service, too
Last month, car brands fell over themselves announcing new luxury vehicle subscription services. Latest but not least, Mercedes has added its own part-rental, part-concierge service to the list. A pilot program will begin in Nashville and Philadelphia this June.
Mercedes AR app gives truck drivers crucial info on their rig
Mercedes isn't new to experimenting with augmented reality, and at MWC 2018 the company showed off its latest creation with that technology. The "Vehicle Lens" app is exactly what it sounds like: It uses a smartphone to give you an AR view of a car or truck, showing vital information as you move around and point the camera at different parts of your ride. If you have it facing the wheels, for example, you see details about tire pressure. That will come in handy before taking a trip. In addition to that, Vehicle Lens can display engine info like mileage and coolant levels, how much fuel there is and personal info about drivers -- including if they've been driving for too long.
Mercedes’ updated A-Class introduces individual car sharing
Usually an automaker's entry-level vehicle is where features initially dropped into the premium line trickle down. Mercedes has taken a different approach with the introduction of the new A-Class.
Mercedes drove around the globe to train its autonomous cars
On a rainy September day in Frankfurt Germany, Mercedes-Benz executives and I got in a specially built semi-automated S-Class to track our drive to Stuttgart. It was the first leg in a five-month, five continent training of the automaker's self-driving system called the Intelligent World Drive that ended at CES earlier this month.
The auto industry is head over heels for VR
Virtual reality and augmented reality are all over the North American International Auto Show floor. Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are all using the tech to show off their latest cars and concepts. During the industry preview days (the show is open to the public through Sunday, January 28th) lines to try the experiences stretched around each booth. The value to prospective customers is directly tied to the quality of each experience, though, and that quality shifts dramatically from one automaker to the next. Instead of thoughtful experiences that work within VR's current limitations and are simultaneously informative and entertaining, more often than not, the VR implementations felt like cheap amusement park gimmicks with little regard for the user's comfort.
The most eye-catching cars and tech from NAIAS 2018 in Detroit
The North American International Auto Show's press and industry preview week is winding down, but the show is far from over. Next week the NAIAS opens to the public and if can't make it to the Mitten State yourself but still want a peek at what's tucked inside Detroit's Cobo Center, we've got you covered. HoloLens and VR? Check. A Chevy pick-up with snowmobile treads for tires? Mhrm. Same goes for a Mercedes G-Class Wagon trapped inside a brick of "amber" resin. Hell, we even got the Michelin Man to flex his muscles for a photo. There's a lot to see, so kick back, pour yourself a frosty beverage and peep the slideshow below on the biggest monitor available.
