The social media app TikTok is everywhere. Starting with the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which hits the market in autumn 2023, it is also being used in vehicles.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class will be equipped with the latest version of the MBUX infotainment system. It is the predecessor of the car manufacturer’s bespoke operating system called MB.OS. Mercedes plans to introduce MB.OS in its next-generation vehicles due to hit the market in late 2024.
TikTok isn’t the only app coming to the Mercedes E-Class. However, it is one of the more interesting options given Mercedes’ interest and presence in the Chinese market. TikTok will also be available on the new Mercedes E-Class in other markets, including the US.
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius said TikTok in Asia was “very relevant.” “He remembers that the average age of an S-Class owner in China is around his 40s.”
“When choosing all these different apps, we go by market or by region,” he added. “Look at what’s most used, like music or movies. [and] And so on – and we tried to go through that list.
The newly updated MBUX system, which features a “super screen” that spans the entire dashboard, allows drivers to click on the TikTok app and watch videos while the vehicle is parked. Passengers can also participate in the action by having access to parts of the screen in front of them. The passenger screen has a limited field of view, so the driver cannot see his TikTok video playing on that screen. Driver monitoring systems also track where the driver is looking.
Image credit: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes is also making Zoom video conferencing, Angry Birds, the Vivaldi web browser and the Webex by Cisco app available on the E-Class’ infotainment system. And more could come to vehicles via over-the-air software updates.
Mercedes has created a new software architecture to make it easier to integrate third-party apps into the infotainment system. There is also a new app store accessible from the Mercedes me app.
The upcoming E-Class interior was just one of several announcements and debuts Wednesday at the automaker’s research and development center in Sunnyvale, California. Mercedes and Google have entered into a long-term partnership aimed at giving the German automaker control over its IP and markets, while providing drivers with navigation, maps and YouTube provided by the tech giant. Announced.
Mercedes also revealed details behind its proprietary operating system called MB.OS (scheduled to debut in its next-generation car in the mid-2010s) and an expanded partnership with lidar company Luminar.
