TikTok, the social media app, is everywhere, it seems. It’s even making its way into vehicles, starting with the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class which will hit the market in fall 2023.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class will come with an updated version of the MBUX infotainment system – a precursor to the automaker’s custom operating system called MB.OS. Mercedes plans to launch MB.OS in its next generation of vehicles which should hit the market at the end of 2024.
TikTok is not the only app coming to the Mercedes E-Class. But it is one of the most interesting choices as it illustrates Mercedes’ interest and presence in the Chinese market. TikTok will also be available in the new Mercedes E-Class in other markets, including the United States.
“It’s very, very relevant,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said of TikTok in Asia. “Let’s not forget that the average age of an S-Class owner in China is around 40 or younger.”
“When we choose all these different applications, we go market by market or region by region,” he added. “We look at what is used more – the music or the film [and] so on – and we tried to go through this list.
The recently updated MBUX system, which will feature a “super screen” covering the entire dashboard, will allow drivers to click on the TikTok app and watch videos while the vehicle is parked. Passengers will also be able to get in on the action as they will have access to part of the screen directly in front of them. The passenger screen has a limited field of vision, which means that the driver will not be able to watch TikTok videos playing on this screen. A driver monitoring system will also track where the driver is looking.
Picture credits: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes is also making Zoom video conferencing, Angry Birds, Vivaldi web browser and Webex by Cisco apps available in the E-Class infotainment system. direct.
Mercedes has created a new software architecture to facilitate the integration of third-party apps into the infotainment system. It also has a new app store, accessible via the Mercedes me app.
The interior of the next E-Class was just one of the announcements and debuts made Wednesday at the automaker’s research and development center in Sunnyvale, Calif. Mercedes and Google have announced a long-term partnership designed to give the German automaker control of its IP address and market while giving drivers navigation, maps and YouTube powered by the tech giant.
Mercedes also revealed details of its own operating system, called MB.OS (which is expected to debut in its next generation of vehicles mid-decade), and an expanded partnership with lidar company Luminar.
