[AutonomousVehicles] mercedes benz makes major self driving announcements at CES

[Cornelius Butler]

Hi everyone,
Mercedes Benz made some major self-driving announcements at CES.  Article
 link and Text are below.

Article Link:
https://www.teslarati.com/mercedes-announces-autonomous-driving-update-ces/

Article Text:

By
William JohnsonPosted on January 5, 2023

Mercedes-Benz has announced a series of updates coming to its autonomous
driving offerings in North America and many other key software updates.

Mercedes has slowly become a leader in autonomous driving and vehicle
software, along with the likes of Tesla. And while its far more
conservative approach to software introduction has meant that fewer of its
customers have benefited from its offering than its American counterpart,
the company’s full legal acceptance of responsibility has inspired rare
confidence in the system. Now, Mercedes has announced key updates coming to
its autonomous driving suite in 2023.

Most excitingly, Mercedes’ level 3 autonomous driving system has entered
final approval for operation in California and Nevada, and the company will
be introducing “conditionally automated driving” following final approval.
This allows drivers to not only take their hands off the wheel but watch
movies or host meetings while their car takes the wheel in specified
circumstances. In Europe, this functionality has been limited to use up to
60km/h, but the company’s press release did not specify the requirements
for use on American roadways.

The other major change coming to Mercedes’ autonomous driving software is
its “Automatic Lane Change” (ALC), finally becoming available in North
America. ALC is the level 2 autonomous driving system that Mercedes offers,
and it essentially functions as hyper-intelligent cruise control. The car
will not only slow and accelerate to keep up with traffic, but it will also
automatically move left and pass slower traffic if it deems it safe. The
system will even follow route guidance and make lane changes to ensure
drivers don’t miss their necessary exits from highways.

The other major software upgrades coming to Mercedes vehicles in 2023
include a full suite of streaming services, audio quality/audio streaming
improvements, and improved EV route planning via the company’s new EV
charging network.

The new selection of streaming services is made available by a partnership
with ZYNC Streaming. This in-car system allows customers to quickly and
easily access a long list of different streaming services from their
vehicle. While the improvement to audio quality/audio streaming is the
result of a partnership with Apple Music, UMG, and Dolby Atmos, “seamlessly
combining technology to amaze the user,” says Magnus Östberg, Chief
Software Officer at Mercedes-Benz.

The CSO goes on to point out how in-car entertainment offerings have
changed what Mercedes is expected to bring to customers; “In-car
entertainment today is much more than a high-end stereo system. A typical
top-of-the-line S-Class or EQS will most likely be equipped with a
Burmester High-End 4D-surround sound system with 39 speakers, plus the
Hyperscreen. Not to mention all the hardware and software to make it work
together.” Only further concreting the importance of the company’s
partnerships within streaming and audio.

As software and in-car entertainment options become increasingly important
in new luxury electric vehicle offerings, Mercedes has placed itself well
by expanding functionality and improving existing offerings. But the
question remains, will other legacy automakers take notice and also work to
catch up with the market leader, Tesla?

What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or
concerns? Shoot me an email at william at teslarati.com. You can also reach me
on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at
tips at teslarati.com!
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