MBUX Hyperscreen Archives

Mercedes-EQ EQS – the first luxury EV limousine

Electrification of product lines has picked up speed in recent years, partly because of tougher regulations in Europe. With the future clearly being electric, many companies are preparing their future zero emission product ranges to cover as many segments as possible, from bottom to top. Even Rolls-Royce and Bentley have plans to offer all-electric models eventually and are certainly developing them now.

But Mercedes-EQ (the EV brand for Mercedes-Benz) is ready with its luxury limousine that runs only on electricity with a flagship model designated the EQS. This is the first model to be based on the modular architecture for luxury and executive-class electric vehicles and will initially be available in two variants – EQS 450+ and EQS 580 4MATIC. These will be the S-Class of the electric range, the beginning of a carbon-neutral new car fleet that will be completed over the coming 20 years.

With the need for minimum air resistance to overcome, it’s not surprising that the designers have brought the CD value down to 0.202, even with a large form that the EQS has. It’s the most aerodynamic production car in the world now, and this superior efficiency benefits many aspects – operating range, quietness and stability at high speeds.

Related to S-Class but different too
Although the EQS is a close relative of the new S-Class, it is built on an all-electric architecture. This completely new concept made a rigorous Purpose Design possible: with its one-bow lines and cab-forward design with fastback, the EQS is clearly distinguishable from vehicles with combustion engines even at first glance. The design philosophy employs generously sculpted surfaces, reduced joints and seamless transitions between surfaces.

The front is combined into a ‘Black Panel’ unit with innovative headlights connected by a light band and the deep black radiator grille (Black Panel) to form the distinctive ‘face’. The exclusive look of the Black Panel radiator grille with central Mercedes star can be enhanced still further: as an optional extra they are also available with a three-dimensional star pattern. The design picks up on the original star of the Daimler-Motorengesellschaft company, which was registered as a trademark in 1911.

770 kms range, up to 560 kW of power
Being an EV, much interest will naturally be on the powertrain. With claimed ranges up to 770 kms and an output of up to 385 kW (524 ps), the powertrain of the EQS provides appropriate performance levels that would be expected of a model as the same level as the S-Class. A performance version with up to 560 kW (762 ps) is being planned. Torque levels are 568 Nm and 855 Nm and peak torque can be expected from takeoff, as is the characteristic of electric motors. All EQS models will have an electric powertrain (eATS) at the rear axle, while the versions with 4MATIC also have an eATS at the front axle.

The EQS marks the launch of a new generation of batteries with significantly higher energy density. The larger of the two batteries has a usable energy content of 107.8 kWh. Recharging with a power supply of up to 200 kW at fast charging stations with direct current can provide 300 kms of range within 15 minutes. At home or at public charging stations, the EQS can be charged with up to 22 kW AC using the on-board charger.

The huge MBUX hyperscreen
Having dedicated architecture has enabled the interior designers to package the cabin with new approaches that are not constrained by traditional structures used for models with combustion engines. The advanced appearance has the MBUX Hyperscreen as the absolute highlight in the interior. This large, curved screen unit sweeps almost from A-pillar to A-pillar, with three screens under a cover glass appearing to merge into one.

With adaptive software, MBUX adapts completely to its user and makes personalized suggestions for numerous infotainment, comfort and vehicle functions. With the zero layer, the most important applications are always offered on the top level within the field of vision, according to situation and context.

A new feature of the EQS is a visualization in the MBUX showing whether the available battery capacity is sufficient to return to the starting point without charging. Charging stations along the route that have been added manually are given preference in the route calculation. Proposed charging stations can be excluded. The estimated charging costs per charging stop are calculated.

Navigation with Electric Intelligence plans the fastest and most convenient route, including charging stops, based on numerous factors and reacts dynamically to traffic jams or a change in driving style, for example.

Over-The-Air updates
The EQS is the first Mercedes to offer the option of activating completely new vehicle functions via over-the- air updates (OTA) in many functional areas. Available from launch will be two special driving programs for young drivers and service staff, some little games and the demo program ‘The Best or Nothing’.

This means that, following the purchase and the initial new-car configuration, some of the features of the EQS can be adapted according to personal preferences. It will also be possible to unlock the rear axle steering with the larger steering angle of ten degrees. In addition to the classic purchase of individual functions, subscriptions, temporary activations and free test phases are also planned.

Exceptionally intelligent car
As an exceptionally intelligent car, the EQS has up to 350 sensors, depending on the equipment installed. These record distances, speeds and accelerations, lighting conditions, precipitation and temperatures, seat occupancy as well as the driver’s blink of an eye or the passengers’ speech. This wealth of information is processed by control units that, controlled by algorithms, make decisions at lightning speed. So they are the ‘brain’, so to speak. The new EQS can expand its capabilities based on new experiences, because it is highly capable of learning thanks to artificial intelligence (AI).

The sensors also monitor the vehicle’s surroundings, with parking systems can help the driver with maneuvering in many areas. The driver can park and unpark the car via smartphone using Remote Parking Assist. With the pre-installation for the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT, the EQS is prepared for Automated Valet Parking (AVP, SAE level 4).

With the optional DRIVE PILOT, the EQS will be able to drive in conditionally automated mode at up to 60 km/h where traffic density is high or in tailbacks on suitable motorway sections, initially in Germany. By relieving the pressure on the driver, the system enables him or her to undertake secondary activities1 such as browsing on the internet or dealing with emails in the In-Car Office, and so gain extra time.

Mercedes-Benz EQC goes into production – First all-electric Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz puts a ‘Home Theatre’ in the car cabin

The EQ range of Mercedes-Benz cars is not just about a new range of all-electric vehicles but will also bring much new and more advanced technologies, especially since the platforms can be entirely new and not adapted from conventional vehicles with internal combustion engines. This gives designers and engineers a truly ‘clean sheet’ or perhaps ‘hard disk’ from which to develop new models.

A new technology which will be one of the major highlights for the EQS flagship model is the new MBUX Hyperscreen, a visually impressive display panel which extends almost the entire width of the interior. In addition to its sheer size, the large, curved screen panel, running from the left to the right A-pillar, guarantees a ‘wow’ effect.

Adaptable to users
Artificial intelligence (AI) and learn-capable software enables the control and display concept to adapt to its user and make personalized suggestions for a variety of functions from infotainment, to comfort and even vehicle functions. 8 CPU cores, 24-gigabyte RAM and 46.4GB per second RAM memory bandwidth are some of the MBUX technical specifications.

With the new zero-layer feature, the user no longer has to scroll through sub-menus or give voice commands as the most important applications are always available in a situational and contextual way at the top of the driver’s field of vision. This alleviates the driver from needing to make numerous operating steps. The MBUX Hyperscreen not only benefits the driver as it is also an attentive assistant for the front passenger, who has their own display and operating area.

The Hyperscreen is the latest advancement of the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) which has greatly simplified the operation of the latest Mercedes-Benz models. It was introduced with the A-Class in 2018, and there are now more than 1.8 million Mercedes-Benz passenger cars on the road equipped with MBUX worldwide. A few months ago, the second generation of this learn-capable system debuted in the new S-Class, and Mercedes is now taking another big step forward in the form of the new EQS and the optionally available MBUX Hyperscreen.

“With our MBUX Hyperscreen, a design vision becomes reality,” said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler Group. “We merge technology with design in a fascinating way that offers the customer unprecedented ease of use. We love the simplicity we created with a new level of MBUX.”

“The MBUX Hyperscreen is both the brain and nervous system of the car,” explained Sajjad Khan, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG and CTO. “The MBUX Hyperscreen continually gets to know the customer better and delivers a tailored, personalized infotainment and operating offerings without the occupant needing to click or scroll anywhere.”

Electrifying appearance, emotional visualization
Surrounded by a continuous plastic front frame painted in Silver Shadow, the MBUX Hyperscreen is an example of digital/analogue design fusion. Several displays appear to blend seamlessly, resulting in an impressive, curved screen band, while analogue air vents are integrated into this large digital surface to connect the digital and physical world. The integrated ambient lighting installed in the lower part of the MBUX Hyperscreen makes the display unit appear to float on the instrument panel.

The front passenger also has a personal display and operating area to help make road trips more enjoyable and entertaining. The passenger display allows for individualized content with up to 7 profiles. If the passenger seat is not occupied, the screen becomes a digital decorative part. In this case, animated stars (ie the Mercedes-Benz pattern) are displayed.

The bright and clear display uses OLED technology for the central and front passenger sections. This technology features individual image pixels that are self-luminous; image pixels, when they are not used, remain switched off, which means that they appear deep black. The active OLED pixels radiate with a high colour brilliance, resulting in high contrast values, regardless of the angle of view and light conditions. All of the graphics are styled in a new blue/orange colour scheme throughout. The classic cockpit display with two circular instruments has been refreshed with an all-new digital look.

Several displays appear to merge seamlessly, resulting in an impressive 141-centimetre wide and curved screen band. The area that passengers can experience is 2,432.11 sq. cm. The large glass cover display is curved three-dimensionally in the molding process at temperatures of approximately 650°C. This process allows a distortion-free view of the display unit across the entire width of the vehicle, irrespective of the display cover radius.

Thanks to its clear design, the MBUX Hyperscreen is intuitive and easy to operate. One example of this is the EV display, important functions of the electric drive such as boost or recuperation are visualized in a new way, with a spatially moving clasp, making it tangible for the user. A lens-shaped object moves between these clamps, which follows gravity and thus is able to impressively depict the g-Force.

Personalized suggestions
Infotainment systems offer numerous and extensive functions, typically with several operating steps often required to control them. In order to reduce these interactive steps even further, with the aid of artificial intelligence, Mercedes-Benz has developed a user interface with context-sensitive awareness.

Mercedes-Benz researched the usage behaviour of the first MBUX generation, and learned that most of the use cases fall in the Navigation, Radio/Media and Phone categories. Therefore, the navigation application is always at the centre of the screen unit with full functionality for ease of use. Over 20 further functions – from the active massage program to a birthday reminder, and suggestions for a to-do list – are automatically offered with the aid of artificial intelligence, if they are relevant to the customer.

“With MBUX, our goal was to create the most desirable automotive infotainment system. We have transferred the bipolarity of our design philosophy Sensual Purity to MBUX – that is, on the one hand the sensual beauty and on the other the ‘wow effect’ of the uniquely intuitive operation. We have invented a new interface that brings design and technology together. The MBUX Hyperscreen was born as a digital piece of art, a futuristic, luxurious sculpture and also a huge technological challenge,” said Wagener.

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