The CEO of Mercedes-Benz, Ola Källenius, looks to the future of the digital cockpit with a cautious but not resigned stance. According to the CEO of the Star brand, touchscreens in cars could continue to grow, while the industry may have already reached the “peak” in the use of a certain number of physical controls. As has partly happened with other manufacturers, in recent years Mercedes has increasingly focused on screen interfaces, progressively reducing the presence of buttons and knobs, to offer more integrated and customizable functions.
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Mercedes and the future of the digital cockpit
In this context fits the three-screen MBUX Hyperscreen, capable of reaching up to 1,410 mm in width in some models and considered among the largest displays on a production car. However, the expansion of the technology has also fueled criticism: many users and observers complain that an increasing number of functions are being moved from physical switches to the screen, with possible effects on immediacy, perceived safety, and learning. In this sense, Källenius, while acknowledging the concerns, defends the approach by emphasizing that interface design requires constant work: “We dedicate countless hours to the user interface“. The goal is to make it so intuitive that it can be used “both by a five-year-old child and by an executive.”
Overuse of digital solutions?
There is also a further openness to rebalancing. Källenius cites progress in voice controls, but admits that the industry as a whole may have pushed a bit too far towards digital solutions. Mercedes’ strategy, according to his words, would therefore be to correct the course by remembering the customer. Specifically, the company has reintroduced physical controls on the steering wheel and plans to continue with the idea of more practical buttons. When asked if this equates to a peak of screens, his answer is clear but cautious. It is not certain that the limit of displays has been reached, but “we are at the minimum of buttons.”
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