Author: Frenchfries
What kind of experience is it to be a boss who always runs abroad and can’t sit still?
If there is such a question on Zhihu, I don’t need an invitation, and even have the chance to mix a high praise answer.
In addition to having more opportunities to slack off (not me, I mean it), we are also the people who are closest to the world’s first-hand information at the lowest cost (the desire for survival, some talent needs to be added).
Yes, just two days before the lunar new year, Mr. Chang, who just returned to China, he flew to the United States again.
And this time, his target is on the three-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz.
This earthquake is not the same as the other
The first video Mr. Chang sent back was different from the others.
The scene opened with a white S-class Mercedes parked on the side of the road, it was shaking back and forth, making people imagine the glories of America…open-mindedness.
If you’re feeling dizzy, please take 30 seconds to reflect and think about what you’re always thinking about all day. I’m talking about the west coast of the United States, don’t think too much, it’s about the American West Coast style of modified cars, also called Low Rider Car, or “jumping cars”. In my impression, the west coast is generally modified with American muscle cars, and a large Mercedes might be following the trend?
As expected, the development of the story was completely different from what we had imagined. Previously, Mercedes-Benz had a similar “car shaking” scene on the GLS, and Mercedes-Benz named it the “stuck car escape mode”. As the name suggests, when the GLS is trapped in the sand, this system can achieve escape by continuously filling and exhausting the air suspension, combined with the corresponding power output.
And this time, the S-class has been thoroughly transformed into a “4D cinema” by Mercedes-Benz. The movie “Jurassic World” is currently playing inside the car, and as the plot progresses, the air suspension of the entire car will be adjusted independently to bring corresponding sensory experiences. At the same time, the ambient lighting, seat vibration, and air conditioning vent in the car will also provide corresponding interactions as required by the film. Is there anything more outrageous than using an S-class as a private 4D cinema?
Of course there is, and this modified S-class uses Mercedes-Benz’s latest technology, which does not change all the default hardware on the current S-class, a true stunt.
The map must be rolled up too
How important is the Chinese market to Mercedes-Benz?
To answer this question, just take a look at the exclusive easter eggs left by Mercedes-Benz at the MB.OS press conference.
As the next-generation car operating system, MB.OS, which was independently designed by Mercedes-Benz, is self-evident in its importance to the company. Mercedes-Benz displayed the map style designed for the Chinese market in MB.OS, and the importance of the Chinese market is also self-evident.
The 3D map experience we had on the EQS before was already cool, but the new map style based on the Unity engine showcased in the video not only restores all road conditions in 3D, but also includes corresponding real light and shadow effects. Let’s give Mercedes-Benz eight more points for being cool.
## The Concealed E-Series
After witnessing the latest technology and maps, how could we miss out on the latest cars?
It’s time for Mr. Chang’s favorite moment, the global debut. Even though the car is still hidden under a “big eggshell”, all the information about the new generation E-series sedan has been revealed on the wall behind it.
Below is the full video:
Although we can’t see the exterior of the car yet, Mercedes-Benz has left a hole for us to peek inside the interior.
Here, Mr. Chang can not only see and touch the full view of the third generation MBUX, but also the interior of the all-new E-series that is scheduled to begin production and delivery in the second half of this year.
The first thing that catches the eye is the screen that looks 60-70% similar to the Hyperscreen on the EQS. In the new E-series, this combination is called Superscreen.
As usual, smoother touch interaction and faster system response are essential. The new combination has some new features in addition to the already existing Hyperscreen, such as electronic air vents, dynamic privacy protection on the passenger screen, a richer third-party app ecosystem, and personal real-time health information linked with Apple Watch.
The Heartless Verification Vehicle
Luck is always on those who wander around.
Let’s take a look at what Mr. Chang stumbled upon during his casual stroll – an L3 level automated driving technology verification vehicle from Mercedes-Benz.
Below is the full video:
During the previous MB.OS launch event, Mercedes-Benz also mentioned their two goals in the field of intelligent driving: launching stronger Level 2 (L2) and faster Level 3 (L3) driving experiences.
To achieve these goals, a lot of technological validation is necessary, and this Mercedes S is doing just that.
To validate the L2 level urban navigation assisted driving and double the speed limit from 65 mph to 80 mph for L3 level, Mercedes has armed this S to the teeth. Apart from the commonly-seen LIDAR on top of the test car, Mercedes has also added many interesting external components to it.
From the front, front side, above the external rearview mirror, fender, body B-pillar door sill, to the rear… Mercedes has used everything that can be added, probably this is called being excessively extravagant or unfeeling?
At this launch event, Mercedes also stated that it will carry out in-depth hardware cooperation with NVIDIA and Luminar. Can the teeth armed to the teeth bite into the hard bone of autonomous driving? We are waiting and seeing.
This EQE is a bit different
Continuing with Mr. Chang’s leisurely capture of wild new car series, this time the theme is the unreleased EQE SUV in China.
Just a few days ago, China welcomed the official launch of the EQS SUV. From the EQS SUV and EQS cars, it can be speculated that even if you have not seen the EQE SUV, you can probably guess its appearance from the EQE.
“`Compared with the EQS SUV, the EQE SUV is smaller in size and looks more dynamic from the side.
Although there is nothing unexpected about the EQE SUV at present, we believe that it may become the best-selling Mercedes EQ model in China in terms of size, model and price.
The One Billion Yuan Riding Experience
As the saying goes, “what goes around comes around” not only applies to good and evil, but also luck.
With a drag coefficient of 0.17 Cd, which is the lowest ever recorded, and having successfully achieved a thousand-kilometer range with only one charge, the retro-styled Mercedes EQXX will become a legendary electric vehicle in 2022.
Last October, Professor Chang lost the opportunity to experience the actual EQXX car due to his travel abroad. He talked about it for two months. Unexpectedly, he not only made up for it this time, but also received a large wave of interest.
Previously in Shanghai, due to regulatory restrictions in China, media teachers were only able to have limited short test drives with the EQXX.
However, the EQXX that Professor Chang encountered this time was a car with a valid license plate. Therefore, after acting cute for a while, Professor Chang had the opportunity to experience EQXX in depth. This time, he not only sat inside and drove it, but also drove it around for a “big” circle.
Now, Professor Chang may be the automotive journalist in China who has driven the EQXX the longest distance and fastest speed during the test drives. It is unclear whether this achievement will be enough to keep him talking for two months.
The End of the L2+ Era?
The last dish is usually the most fulfilling.
When asked what the most important part of his recent trip to the United States was, Professor Chang cleared his throat first. After spending years in China with L2-level autonomous driving, even though every company calls themselves L2+ or L2.X, in the end, it is still different from level 3. Finally, he was able to drive a Level 3 autonomous car.“`markdown
The reason why the industry is hesitant to adopt L3 and L2 autonomous driving systems, besides domestic regulatory restrictions, lies in two important differences between the two:
-
When the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode, the driver no longer needs to monitor the vehicle status in real time;
-
In the event of a traffic accident, the automaker will be held responsible.
It is well known that Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot achieved the world’s first L3 autonomous driving system verification in Germany last year, and now, Professor Chang can experience this system on public roads in the United States.
Compared with our ordinary EQS, the EQS equipped with Drive Pilot has the biggest difference in appearance, with two large lidar sensors added to the front grille. The difference inside the car is reflected in the steering wheel. There are two buttons and indicator lights related to Drive Pilot at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions of the steering wheel.
However, currently the system has strict operating conditions, such as not exceeding 65km/h and being restricted for use in rainy weather.
But in the end, it is still an L3 system that can be on the road. When machines begin to try to operate on the road without human supervision, safety is surely your biggest concern, right? Congratulations, your concerns are well addressed by Mercedes-Benz. In this event, Mercedes-Benz demonstrated its prowess in safety once again.
First of all, it should be noted that the EQS model used in this demonstration did not have any additional perception sensors installed. In other words, this system can be seamlessly upgraded on the currently mass-produced EQS.
What can it do?
Automatic evasive action for obstacle vehicles is not surprising. How about automatic perception of the surrounding environment and evasive action in a vacant lane in front of oncoming traffic on the premise of safety? Child ghost head testing is not surprising. How about class ghost head testing with only 0.1 second reaction time? Control the distance between the front car and the following car when the front car cuts in is not surprising. How about sudden emergency braking when the front car suddenly cuts in?
For such scenes, Mercedes-Benz saved Mr. Chang five times in just five minutes.
Regarding intelligent driving, the current trend is called “integrated driving and parking.” Of course, Mercedes-Benz’s L3 experience would not be complete without the automatic parking part. However, China is probably the most proficient in automatic parking globally, so although Mercedes-Benz’s system is not bad, it lacks some surprises compared to the first two parts.
But Mercedes-Benz’s consistent experience details are still reflected in this part. The EQS’s rear-wheel steering function even achieves a crab-like effect here, which is a bit of a comeback. Mercedes-Benz’s big move in the parking part is actually a L4 level automatic parking system that can operate in parking lots. However, unfortunately, this system is currently only available in Germany, as for the experience, let’s see when Mr.Chang will go to Germany.
“`OK, above is all the news that Mr. Chang has experienced in the United States. Thanks to the boss for sending us first-hand reports from across the ocean, and please cherish the few chances to slack off (not me, I didn’t).
By the way, if there is really a question on Zhihu “What kind of experience is it to have a boss who can’t sit still and always travels abroad?”, please do not hesitate to send me a private message.
After all, who can resist a highly upvoted answer!
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.