"First Car Company to Develop OS" Confidence of Mercedes-Benz CTO

"It is the first time that a car company directly develops the infotainment system (Mercedes-Benz). We have taken care of everything from software development to chip development, artificial intelligence, and machine learning."

Markus Sch?fer, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Mercedes-Benz, said this during a video interview held at the Mercedes-Benz Korea headquarters on the 24th. He revealed plans to apply the operating system (OS) they developed themselves exclusively to the E-Class first, and then to all vehicles starting next year.

Markus Sch?fer, Chief Technology Officer of Mercedes-Benz Photo by Benz Korea

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The MB.OS developed by the company is applied exclusively to the completely redesigned E-Class model unveiled on the 26th. It is compatible with other operating systems such as Android, allowing applications (apps) to be installed in the vehicle. According to CTO Sch?fer, this enables activities such as video conferencing and even gaming inside the car. He also mentioned that the system supports the latest updates via OTA (over-the-air) communication, stating, "The E-Class will transform into a different vehicle depending on the customer and will continuously learn."

This OS will be actively installed in MMA platform vehicles from next year, starting with the E-Class. CTO Sch?fer said, "Next year, we will introduce the MMA platform for compact cars, where MB.OS will be applied to four domains." The four domains refer to infotainment, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), autonomous driving, and other functions.

Markus Sch?fer, Chief Technology Officer of Mercedes-Benz [Photo by Mercedes-Benz Korea]

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When comparing the 11th generation E-Class and the Mercedes-Benz EQ model (pure electric vehicle), CTO Sch?fer highlighted the performance of the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) as a differentiating advantage. It is equipped with a large 25 kWh battery, enabling a maximum driving range of 100 km (WLTP certified) on a single charge. He said, "Not all customers prefer electric vehicles due to concerns about driving range and charging infrastructure," adding, "The PHEV model is a good choice for those who want to experience electric vehicles while driving long distances without worrying as much as with internal combustion engines."

He stated that Mercedes-Benz has no plans to develop hydrogen fuel cell or e-fuel (renewable synthetic fuel) vehicles, as the electrification plan is progressing smoothly. CTO Sch?fer said, "Our vehicles have sufficient driving range, which will increase further in the future. We are also working on building a charging network to reduce customer anxiety. Currently, there are no plans to develop hydrogen or e-fuel vehicles."

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