Mercedes-Benz R&D's New HQ In Sunnyvale

After almost 20 years in Palo Alto, MBRDNA is now moving into a larger building as its R&D headquarters in Sunnyvale, just a few miles away. A workforce of around 100 is presently employed at the Mercedes-Benz Silicon Valley R&D Center, with plans for a doubling of resources in the next few years. Activities at the new MBRDNA headquarters include work on future premium infotainment and telematics solutions, Mercedes-Benz Apps for COMAND Online and mbrace or the Digital DriveStyle app. R&D work is also performed on the seamless integration of technologies, applications and smart devices into vehicles, such as the Apple iPhone and Android smartphones.

Mercedes-Benz delivered 133,441 vehicles to its customers in November. Since the beginning of the year, the company has sold 1,322,500 cars, a growth of 10.7 percent. Sales rose particularly strongly in China and in the NAFTA region. Mercedes-Benz was again the most-registered premium manufacturer in the United States and in the German market. Shortly after the model change, the S-Class is the highest-selling luxury sedan of the world. The new compact models are in great demand and the new E-Class also contributed to the strong growth in unit sales. Mercedes-Benz is the fastest-growing premium brand since the beginning of the year.

Mercedez Benz incorporates Android driving by endorsing Haptics. The S65 model is a touchpad for Android. By implementing touch controls the user can feel similar to modern devices such as the tablets and smartphones. Users are able to swipe, write, zoom and gesture the same as in an Android touchscreen smartphone or tablet.

MBRDNA

The Advanced User Experience Design division, based in Silicon Valley, envisions, designs, and prototypes new user experiences that are made possible by new digital technologies. Digital Drive Style provides up-to-date information on the smartphone and offers Drive Kits Plus that are already installed for the iPhone® 4/4S. There is currently no Android device available as of yet. DICE (Dynamic & Intuitive Control Experience) System Gesturing is another part of the R&D division which is a system capable of recognizing and using a driver's hand movements to create a custom virtual dashboard -- complete with live feed from their social network -- the Mercedes-Benz DICE (Dynamic & Intuitive Control Experience) concept represents the company’s commitment to driving innovation.

Other areas of research and development are fuel cell-powered electric vehicles and battery technologies. Social trends in the USA are examined by the Society & Technology Research Group, which provides well-founded information on the American market and assesses current trends and their possible consequences. Since 2012 a team of Business Innovation, a Daimler AG think tank, has been in operation at MBRDNA, concerned with the development of innovative business models which go beyond the core business area of automobile manufacturing.

The demand for next-generation in-car technologies will derive sustainable revenue streams for the automotive industry. The connected vehicle technologies are being influenced by consumer demand for in-car technology and driving performance. “Combined with the increased use of connected vehicle technologies and digital services among consumers in mature markets, the high demand across the emerging world will no doubt speed the development and influence the rollout of next-generation products and services by the global auto industry,” stated Luca Mentuccia, Global Managing Director for Accenture’s Automotive practice. “This is especially significant considering that nearly 40%of drivers surveyed indicated that in-car technology is the primary factor they consider in purchasing a new car.” Emerging tools have also arrived with social car shopping and crowd funding being used.