Tag: mercedes-benz

Mercedes-Benz Boasts of In-Car NFT Gallery as Part of MB.OS Revamp

Mercedes, the German luxury carmaker has decided to express its stance on the controversial Web3 sector, in a rather bold and artistic way. In a revamp to its operating system, Mercedes-Benz has decided to include a digital gallery, showing off non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Built on blockchains, NFTs are digital collectibles that hold underlaying values, which makes them a lucrative investment item for members of the Web3 community. NFTs could be inspired by artworks, cartoons, game characters, or even imaginary elements.

During its recent presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the German automaker showcased its next-generation Mercedez-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) that brings changes to its in-car entertainment provisions, Decrypt reported.

As part of these tweaks to its OS, the dashboard of Mercedes-Benz now features a new app called ‘MBUX Collectibles’. Through this app, users of these cars will be able to browse through NFTs linked to the brand. Last year, the car company had dropped its second NXT Icons NFT collection. The 18,860 digital that are collectibles part of this collection, for instance, will be shown as part of the car’s NFT gallery.

The first ever NFT collection from Mercedes-Benz debuted in April last year, and it was named ‘Maschine’. NFTs from this series will also be featured in the revamped dashboard. Hoping to connect with a younger generation of customers, the German luxury car brand has been trying to establish itself as a pro-Web3 brand for a while now.

Apart from NFTs, Mercedes-Benz had inked a sponsorship deal with the FTX crypto exchange in September 2021. The partnership automatically fell apart after the FTX exchange collapsed last year and ended up filing for bankruptcy. Not just NFTs and crypto exchanges – the company has also taken into conscience, the use of blockchain in its operations. In 2020, the company piloted a blockchain project to track the amount of CO2 emissions triggered by its cobalt supply chain.

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Tesla Faces Challenge as Rivals Decide to Form Electric Vehicle Charging Firm

A group of major automakers on Wednesday said they were forming a new company to provide electric vehicle charging in the United States in a challenge to Tesla and a bid to take advantage of Biden administration subsidies.

The group includes General Motors, Stellantis, Hyundai Motor and its Kia affiliate, Honda, BMW and Mercedes Benz, brands representing about half of US vehicle sales but a small share of the EV market dominated by Tesla.

The unusual coalition of competitors said the new joint-venture company would aim to become the leading provider of fast charging in North America with a target of rolling out 30,000 chargers, starting along major highways and in cities. 

The automakers did not specify how much they would invest individually or collectively, but said they would be open to additional investment or participation from other companies, including outside the auto industry. A name for the venture was not announced.

Tesla, which accounted for more than 60 percent of US EV sales last year, has the largest current network of fast-chargers with almost 18,000 Superchargers in the United States. 

Tesla said earlier this year it would open part of that charging network to EVs from rival brands in order to be eligible for a share of funding from the $7.5 billion (nearly Rs. 61,500 crore) in federal subsidies on offer to expand the use of EVs.

Tesla’s lead in building out a network of chargers has given it sway in setting the standard for how future EVs will connect and power up, something smaller charging companies and other EV makers have viewed with concern.

GM, Mercedes and others have signed on to adopt Tesla-developing charging technology from 2025 to get access to a larger share of its Superchargers.

The other automakers – Stellantis, Hyundai, Honda and BMW – have not committed to the Tesla technology known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS) and have product plans that rely on a rival known as the Combined Charging System (CCS).

The new charging company will support both CCS and the Tesla standard.

“A strong charging network should be available for all – under the same conditions – and be built together with a win-win spirit,” Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement.

In a statement, chief executives of the seven auto brands said a charging network built out like gas stations with restrooms, food service and retail operations would support a faster rollout of EVs, which they said they expected would top 50 percent of US sales by 2030.

The new company would compete against established EV charging companies, including Volkswagen‘s Electrify America, ChargePoint and EVGo, which are also looking to accelerate the rollout of chargers with federal funding.

The Biden administration has set a target of hitting 5,00,000 chargers by 2030, an almost four-fold increase.

© Thomson Reuters 2023  

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New Mercedes-Benz has TikTok livestream for influencers

This car will be fueling Influencers’ clout.

Mercedes-Benz revealed a brand-new E-series sedan on Wednesday that would allow drivers to film TikTok videos and access other apps while on the road, reports The Washington Post.

“Customers can look forward to a particularly immersive entertainment experience in the new E‑Class,” Mercedes-Benz said in a statement. “Music, games and streaming content can be experienced in the car with almost all the senses.”

TikTok also issued its own statement.

“As we aim to expand that experience for our users, we’re excited to partner with Mercedes-Benz to introduce immersive in-car entertainment, which will give our community more opportunities to enjoy the content they love,” said TikTok’s director of distribution business development David Saidden.

According to the car company, the new automobile will feature massive touch screens that will allow passengers to watch movies, tv shows, play games or explore various apps.

Vehicle technology specialist Tom Leggett explained how the driver would be protected from being distracted on the road.


According to the car company, the new automobile will feature massive touch screens that will allow passengers to watch movies, tv shows or explore various apps.
Mercedes-Benz

“The Mercedes E-Class will be fitted with the latest Driver Monitoring System to prevent the risk of distraction for the driver,” explained Leggett to the Daily Mail. “A camera (usually in the driver’s display) analyses the driver’s eye movements and can detect whether the eyes are looking at the front passenger screen.”

“If this is the case the brightness of the passenger screen is reduced, and a warning issued to the driver,” continued Leggett.”Additionally, the passenger display has ‘dual light control (DLC)’ that prevents dynamic content such as films from being seen peripherally by the person behind the wheel.”

The car would also allow drivers to take selfies — while the car is stationary.


“Customers can look forward to a particularly immersive entertainment experience in the new E‑Class,” Mercedes-Benz said in a statement. “Music, games and streaming content can be experienced in the car with almost all the senses.”
Mercedes-Benz

“When the vehicle is stationary, the driver can participate in online video conferences via e.g. Webex, and take personal photos and videos,” stated the car giant.

The car also allows drivers to experience music in a whole new way.

“Pieces of music and the sound from films or apps can be, felt and now also ‘seen’,” said Mercedes-Benz. “For example, fast sequences of beats can cause rapid light changes, while flowing rhythms can create softly merging lighting moods.”


According to Mercedes, the vehicle will be installed with various programs to ensure the driver’s safety.
Mercedes-Benz

The car also boasts “soothing sounds,” “activating light” and “mobilizing massage” and an anti-motion sickness program for those who TikTok on the go.

Several online users rolled in with their own opinions.

“Seems like a bad idea,” tweeted one person.

“No thank you,” said another.

“Maybe giant interactive screens and other distracting features shouldn’t be installed in two-ton death machines,” chimed in a third person.

Mercedes-Benz’s latest creation is set to drive off the assembly line this summer in Europe before making its way to the US in the fall.

The announcement comes just as policymakers are seeking to potentially ban apps like TikTok, citing threats to national security.



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