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Inside Mercedes' Silicon Valley research center
A metal typewriter sits on a pedestal churning out the next sentence of a collaborative story. For every line I typed onto paper, the AI computer controlling the hunk of metal replies with what it thinks would be a good follow-up. The goal of the experiment is to see what happens when you feed an artificial intelligence only fairy tales. It's the kind of seemingly idiosyncratic thing you'd expect from IBM, Google or Apple. But I actually found it inside Mercedes-Benz's R&D North American headquarters in Silicon Valley.
Automakers are beating Silicon Valley at its own game
When Google unveiled its self-driving car and rumors surfaced that Apple was also working on a car, it looked like the future of driving belonged to Silicon Valley. Turns out, automakers were up to the challenge, and the "hobbies" of tech giants are going to be left behind.
Mercedes grabs a spot on the Formula E grid from 2018
Mercedes is set to become the latest in a long line of traditional car makers entering the world of Formula E. The company confirmed today that it's signed an agreement to reserve a spot on the grid of the electric racing championship from the 2018/19 season. With the all-electric series set to expand from 10 teams to 12 in season five, Mercedes can now decide whether it will take one of the two new available openings.
A first look at Mercedes-Benz's Generation EQ concept EV
On the first Sunday of each month, you can't drive a car in Paris -- not unless it's electric. That's a trend that might just catch on elsewhere, judging by the fact that rival Tesla has pre-sold over 300,000 Model 3 EVs. So, Mercedes is suddenly taking this electric car thing very seriously with a new initiative called Generation EQ. Fittingly, the German company launched it at the Paris Auto Show with a concept car that's essentially a preview of its future electric tech. The platform can be used on a wide range of EVs, whether they're SUV or coupe-sized, thanks to the module components and battery packs. It also sports autonomous tech that can talk to other cars on the road and intelligent mapping that helps you find a charging station or parking spot. It's also got typical concept stuff like cameras instead of mirrors, screens everywhere and cool, but uncomfortable-looking seats. The biggest problem is the timeline: Mercedes probably should have announced a program like this a couple years ago, and the first vehicles won't be manufactured until 2019.
Mercedes will reportedly challenge Tesla with four new EVs (confirmed)
Executives from Mercedes-Benz haven't been coy about the company's EV plans -- it wants to go head-to-head with Tesla. As part of this strategy, Bloomberg reports that Mercedes is getting ready to introduce four electric vehicles, including two sedan models and two SUVs. The new fleet is said to be the starting point of a new sub-brand for Mercedes, although the German automaker still hasn't decided what that will be called. Last month, Mercedes' David McCarthy revealed that a concept electric would be shown sometime in September. In other words, it won't be long before we see what Mercedes has up its sleeve.
Nissan's gold Olympics-edition EV, and more in the week that was
Tesla's Gigafactory is set to double the world's battery production, and this week it opened its doors for the first time. Tesla is also working on an electric truck, but Mercedes-Benz beat them to punch this week by launching the world's first all-electric big rig. In other transportation news, a sun-powered airplane completed an epic trip around the world -- and we highlighted eight milestones from its record-shattering flight. Nissan announced that it will give golden Leaf EVs to medal-winning Olympic athletes. And Norway unveiled plans to build the world's first floating underwater traffic tunnels, which will be suspended from pontoons.
Mercedes Benz's E300 is a luxury car that happens to be high-tech
The Mercedes Benz E-Class has always been fancy. Wood, leather and a sense that you've made some pretty solid life choices are all part of the package. But the automaker has also been on the cutting edge of tech. For example, it added radar-aided adaptive cruise control to its vehicles back in 1998. So it's no surprise that the 2017 E300 is filled to its German gills with the latest and greatest in car technology. The car is indeed impressive, but not without a few hiccups.
Uber reportedly bought at least 100,000 Mercedes Benz S-Classes
Quick recap: ride-sharing behemoth Uber is famous for connecting passengers with people who have their own cars. (Well, among other things.) Uber doesn't own a fleet of cars for would-be drivers to use, which makes the fact that the company seems to have purchased least 100,000 Mercedes Benz S-Classes from Daimler all the more fascinating. What gives? Germany's Manager Magazin, which broke the story earlier today, was quick to point out one crucial similarity between the two companies: they're both investing heavily in making autonomous cars a reality.
Mercedes replaces robots with people on its assembly line
We've all heard stories about how the robots are taking our jobs. While that may be true, Mercedes-Benz is replacing some of its high-tech workers with real live humans. As it turns out, robots can't keep up with the degree of customization that the automaker offers on its S-Class sedans. To be fair, there are four different types of caps for the tires alone, not to mention options for carbon fiber trim and temperature-controlled cup holders.
6 of the world's wildest self-driving cars
By Cat DiStasio Last week, US officials said that the computer in Google's self-driving car can legally be considered the "driver" -- a decision that could serve as a stepping-stone to making driverless cars legal on American roadways. Companies like Google and Ford are busy testing self-driving car technology, and Tesla's Model S already has some autopilot features to assist drivers. But just how far will automakers take autonomous technology? Read on for six of the world's wildest self-driving vehicles, from a car that moves like a crab to a vehicle with a built-in bed.
ICYMI: Crowdfunded rocket, swimming robotic bees and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-819313{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-819313, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-819313{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-819313").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Harvard researchers taught a swarm of robotic bees to swim, propelling themselves through the water with their tiny little wings. A new Kickstarter project aims to crowdfund a rocket to the moon, if it can get funding up to one million dollars. And the German Autobahn 8 played host to a self-driving big rig truck as part of a test drive by automaker Daimler.
Mercedes' newest mini car is one you'd actually want to drive
If you live in a metropolitan area like San Francisco, New York or Chicago, you understand the appeal of a tiny car. It's easier to swoop through traffic and it can be parked nearly anywhere. Smart says the Fortwo is the tiniest of the tiny cars available in the United States. The latest version of the Mercedes-Benz-built vehicle is still only 8.8 feet long, but it's gotten wider with more forgiving suspension. It's also filled with additional standard features making it feel more like a car and less like a compromise. To highlight the new diminutive driver's features, Smart set up a scavenger hunt in the retirement community for 30-year-olds: Portland, Oregon. If you're going to take a car meant to tackle an urban environment for a spin, it might as well be in a city with a road system that seems like it was laid out more as a practical joke than a way to get drivers from point A to point B.
OwnStar car hacker can remotely unlock BMWs, Benz and Chrysler
Last month security researcher Samy Kamkar announced a vulnerability that allowed him to remotely unlock OnStar-enabled GM cars. While that issue has been fixed, it looks like the same vulnerability found in OnStar is also present in BMW Remote, Mercedes' mbrace and Chrysler's Uconnect. Kamkar told Engadget via email, "the issue itself is the same exact SSL certificate issue that affected OnStar/GM (which they've resolved two weeks ago). It was barely any tweaking of the original system -- a few lines of code to add support per vehicle." Uh oh.
Mercedes-Benz has an Apple Watch app, too
Apple Watch apps aren't all about sorting payments and getting notifications. There are plenty that play nice with your car, too. Following the likes of BMW and Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz announced its own software for the wearable that provides walking directions to and from where the car is parked. Using the MB Companion app, Mercedes owners can also search for driving directions from the Apple Watch or and iPhone before they even sit down in the driver's seat. As you might expect, info like fuel level, range, maintenance codes and and odometer readings can be swiped through on your wrist, too. When it arrives this fall, the app will work with Mercedes-Benz C-Class and S-Class vehicles that sport the Command Online tech, and support for other models is said to follow after launch.
NYT: Uber bids $3 billion for Nokia's Here maps
Uber wants to buy another mapping technology: Nokia's Here, and it's bid $3 billion for it according to The New York Times. Who else wants in on the action? Apparently a handful of German car manufacturers including Audi, BMW and Mercedes Benz, and Chinese search engine Baidu's lending some cash to the move as well. While Google Maps is probably the most popular service here in the States, that isn't exactly the case abroad. NYT says that globally the Finnish electronics company's navigation system commands an 80 percent market share for in-car GPS.
Riding in Mercedes' luxurious, self-driving car of the future
A four-wheeled vision of gleaming silver glides toward me, shining brightly under the warm California sun. The vehicle looks otherworldly against the empty backdrop of the former naval base in Alameda, a site perhaps more famous for Mythbusters stunts than automobile demonstrations. This, however, is no ordinary automobile. The curvature of metal heading in my direction is more reminiscent of zeppelins and supersonic spacecraft; the stuff of childhood dreams and science fiction. This is the Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion, a concept car representing the future of autonomous vehicles. And I'm about to go for a ride in it.
Mercedes will have 10 new plug-in hybrid cars by 2017
After dipping its toes into the plug-in hybrid waters, Mercedes-Benz is ready to jump in with both feet. The automaker is planning to launch 10 new plug-in hybrid models between now and 2017 -- on average, that's a new green machine every four months. The only two confirmed US models so far are the 2016 C350e (above) and S550e, both of which arrive this fall, but Mercedes is promising that vehicles from the C-Class on up (including the GLE-Class SUV) will get the semi-electric treatment. Between these and pure EVs like the B-Class Electric Drive, you may not have to compromise on model selection just because you want an eco-friendly ride with a tri-star badge.
Daimler nabs two taxi apps, but wants no part of an Uber-like uproar
While Daimler, Mercedes-Benz parent company, announced that it had acquired two ride-hailing apps today, it was clear that it wanted no part of disrupting the taxi industry. The oufit grabbed mytaxi and RideScout to boost its efforts to serve folks who don't have cars with its limousines, according to Reuters. If you need a quick introduction, mytaxi is a German-based service that hails, tracks and pays for taxis while RideScout is a tool for folks to find both public and private options for arriving on time with offices in Austin, Texas. What the company made perfectly clear is that it wants no part of ruffling the feathers Uber has; however, it does plan to work with taxi operators to get customers where they need to go. Deals were made through a subsidiary Moovel GmbH, and with that outfit, Daimler owns the car2go car-sharing option and the Park2gether service for finding empty spots to stop. [Photo credit: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images]
Google's 'Projected Mode' in-car system possibly leaked by Mercedes-Benz
Job adverts aren't most reliable way to hear about new technology, but interesting ones do crop up from time to time, and that's why our eyes are drawn to one recently posted by Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz. The ad requests the services of a software engineer who can help the German car maker implement Google's forthcoming in-car system, which is apparently called "Google Projected Mode" and which is described as a way to "seamlessly integrate" Android smartphones into a dashboard's head unit. This head unit would presumably house a bigger display that mirrors a simplified version of the Android UI -- unless the use of the word "projected" implies something more futuristic.
Mercedes Vision Golf Cart concept could shuttle you around the course in comfort
Today's golf carts certainly serve a purpose, but despite opulent add-ons like plastic rain shields and windshield wipers, the electric buggies littering the world's fairways and outdoor venues can hardly be considered luxurious. Now, with Mercedes-Benz considering a compact vehicle of its own, the cookie-cutter people mover could be a thing of the past. The German automaker recently debuted its Vision Golf Cart concept, a solar-powered two-seat carriage that includes such amenities as heated and cooled seats and cup holders, air vents, speakers, a joystick control, iPhone dock, heads-up display and LED headlights. Sounds pretty posh.%Gallery-194615%
