Schfer visited Silicon Valley. The executive is at the research and development center to meet with his team.
Schfer talks about potential partnerships in the future as we sit down to discuss the future of Mercedes-Benz. The company is in the midst of a transformation into an EV platform while trying to become the first automaker to have a passenger vehicle for sale in the US with Level 3 driver-assistance technology. The system lets the driver not pay attention to the road or control the vehicle under certain circumstances.
The company is in the middle of a transformation.
Schfer decided to go to California because of that. Regulatory approval is needed for Mercedes to launch its Drive Pilot feature in California. The executive had a meeting with officials. The car company wants to be transparent with regulators and has gotten feedback from them.
They understand technology, the sense of redundant in computing, and how we educate customers on this level 3 system. The CTO said that meeting with the regulators, explaining the system, and preparing the application were important.
Under certain circumstances, the Mercedes Drive Pilot system would allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel and not pay attention to the road. Drivers don't have anything else on the market that lets them check out the driving experience. Right now, the closest thing we have in the US is hands-free systems from BMW, Ford, and GM. The driver needs to keep paying attention.
Being the first to sell a passenger vehicle that can drive itself in certain circumstances on the highway equates to a jump into the ride-sharing space. At one point, Musk said that there would be a million self- driving cars on the road in 2020.
Mercedes wants to launch its drive pilot feature in California.
That hasn't happened yet, and for Mercedes, that's not even a goal Schfer said that they thought they could solve the problem in the next two years. It was expensive to commit to both a ride-sharing solution and a passenger driver assistance solution. There was something that had to be scrapped and it was the taxis.
Other original equipment manufacturers and their subsidiaries are going through a shake-up that seems to have landed them on the same path as Mercedes. Last week, the Ford and Volkswagen-backed company closed. Some employees would be offered jobs by either Ford or Volkswagen, while others would get a severance package, according to reports. The technology would be divided between the two companies. Ford decided to focus on Level 2 and Level 3 driver-assistance systems instead of vehicles that could be used as robotaxis during the third quarter earnings call.
Mercedes has been giving vehicles to human-driven taxis in Europe for a long time. Schfer said that it will continue to take part in that lucrative market, but it isn't the priority of the company. A self-driving taxi with a Mercedes star isn't something the CTO sees as beneficial. Would you wait more for a car? Schfer didn't think that was the case.
Even though it won't have to worry about battling the German automaker in therobotaxi game, it should be concerned about Mercedes' recent roll out of EVS.
The Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles are either in US showrooms or will be soon. The company has been aggressive in introducing EV's with more on the way. The current crop of EV's are based on a 400volt architecture and have a top off of 200 kilowatts.
There's a chance thatTesla won't have to worry about fighting in the game.
The 900-volt EQXX concept vehicle will be the basis for more energy efficient vehicles.
A new battery chemistry with a silicone anode, a different type of cells, improved packaging density, and new cooling concepts are some of the things that Schfer says will be included in the automaker's 2024 platform. The Mercedes-Benz-built motor in the EQXX is more or less a series motor.
It is the new baseline for the future lineup. Schfer said that there will be a dramatic reduction in electric consumption. The company is aiming for a 20% range improvement according to the CTO.
The range of electric vehicles is still a concern for many people. Schfer believes that as the infrastructure becomes more mature, customers will choose a smaller battery pack that fits their lifestyle to save money.
It is an important look into the future as the dream of price parity between EV and gas-powered vehicles is starting to slip away.
It would take a long time to get to parity, according to Schfer. It wasn't there before the supply chain issues, and it's not going to happen soon Unless there is an improvement in chemistry.
Mercedes intends to go electric by the year 2030. California wants to no longer allow the sale of gas-powered vehicles. The company that invented the modern automobile, Mercedes, seems ready for the next step in the evolution of automobiles: a future with more efficient vehicles and actual autonomously operated cars. It will leave that to the anonymous ride-sharing boxes.
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