Mercedes-Benz and Bosch are starting an autonomous shuttle service in California

By Ronan Glon December 9, 2019

Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler recently took what it referred to as a reality check when it comes to self-driving cars. They’re expensive to develop, complicated to get approved, and they’re farther away than many believe. These hurdles aren’t stopping the company from teaming up with Bosch to launch an autonomous ride-hailing service in California.

There are 30 vehicles initially participating in the pilot program, Digital Trends learned from a company spokesperson, and more could join the fleet over time. The prototypes are based on the S-Class, but they’re being fitted with a full suite of technology that allows them to drive themselves in a variety of conditions. Bosch stressed it keeps a safety driver behind the wheel at all times so a human can take over if something goes wrong, whether it’s an issue with the technology or a problem with road conditions. Both companies made it clear they aim to bring autonomous functions to production as soon as they’re ready.

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The service works a lot like Uber or Lyft. Riders use a purpose-designed smartphone application to summon a ride to a designated pickup point. Once the car arrives, the rider hops in and travels to his or her destination without human intervention. Rides are available in West San Jose and downtown, along the San Carlos Street and Stevens Creek boulevard thoroughfares. Engineers will learn a lot by deploying the technology in California traffic, and commuters can be a part of it.

Sound cool? It’s a big step forward, but don’t expect a driverless S-Class to take you across downtown the next time you’re in San Jose; not yet, anyway. Only Bosch and Daimler associates are able to use the service, a spokesperson told Digital Trends. The program remains an experiment, so the two partners want it to run its course before letting normal riders hail an autonomous ride. “The idea is to open up the service to the public as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.

As of writing, Alphabet-owned Waymo is the only company in America that operates a commercial ride-hailing service with autonomous cars. The service is about a year old. Bosch and Daimler could become the second firm in this space.

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Tesla hopes full self-driving beta will be out globally by the end of 2022

Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

At the Tesla AI Day 2022 event, the electric car maker revealed some key statistics about the Full Self Driving (FSD) tech that is currently still in the beta testing phase. The company divulged that the number of FSD beta testers has gone up from 2,000 last year to roughly 1,60,000 users in 2022, despite a few regulatory hiccups and incidents that raised questions about its safety.

Tesla still hasn’t provided a timeline for when the FSD package will formally exit the beta phase, but it doesn’t seem too far off. In a TED interview this year, Musk claimed that the FSD system, which now costs $15,000, will most likely be out by the end of 2022 for all customers. There are also plans for a global rollout by the end of this year, pending regulatory approval, of course.

Cars

We need more 7-passenger EVs, but the 2023 Mercedes EQS SUV has room to improve

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is continuing to expand its EV lineup, this time with a model aimed at (wealthy) families.
As the name states, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is an SUV derivative of the EQS sedan. With the EQS sedan positioned as the electric analog to the Mercedes S-Class, the EQS SUV is the electric version of the GLS-Class. And like that vehicle, the EQS SUV is available with up to seven seats across three rows.
That makes the EQS SUV an important vehicle not just for Mercedes, but for the cause of EV adoption in general. While the Tesla Model X and Rivian R1S also offer three rows for family-hauling duty, there’s a lot more room in the market for another entry. Given the popularity of equivalent gasoline luxury SUVs like the GLS, Land Rover Range Rover, and Cadillac Escalade, the EQS SUV arrives not a moment too soon.
The EQS SUV is scheduled to reach U.S. dealerships this fall in three guises. The base rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ starts at $105,550 with destination, while the all-wheel drive EQS 450 4Matic and EQS 580 4Matic start at $108,550 and $127,100, respectively. Although it will be built in Alabama, the EQS SUV won’t qualify for the revised federal EV tax credit because it exceeds the $80,000 price cap for SUVs.

Design and interior
A defining feature of Mercedes’ EQ lineup is aerodynamic bodywork aimed at maximizing range. The typical SUV is not aerodynamically ideal, but Mercedes managed to achieve an impressively low drag coefficient for an SUV — at 0.26, it’s close to the Toyota Prius. But function clearly took precedence over form. Mercedes deserves credit for not going in the polarizing direction BMW did with its two-row iX SUV, but the EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.
More disappointing is the third row, which should be the EQS SUV’s defining feature, but seems more like a useless afterthought. Adults will find it difficult to insert themselves into the third-row seats, let alone tolerate riding in them. As in most three-row vehicles, the rear seats also pretty much eliminate cargo space. And if you want to fold them down to create more cargo room, you’ll have to do it manually as Mercedes didn’t include a power-folding system — a bit disappointing for a six-figure car. The EQS SUV also lacks a frunk; like the EQS sedan, the hood is sealed.
The EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.

Cars

Lux and refreshingly livable, Mercedes’ EQE moves EVs mainstream

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan.

Mercedes-Benz wants its EQ sub-brand to be an all-electric counterpart to its current lineup of gasoline luxury cars, and it’s working toward that goal by starting at opposite ends of the price spectrum and working toward the middle.
Where the EQS sedan and SUV are the flagships of the lineup, and the EQB serves as an entry-level offering, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan aims for the middle of the market. It’s pitched as an electric equivalent of the Mercedes E-Class, one of the automaker’s bread-and-butter models. And like the E-Class, the EQE will compete against sedans from Mercedes’ German rivals, such as the Audi e-tron GT, BMW i4, and Porsche Taycan. It will likely be cross-shopped against the Genesis Electrified G80, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S as well.
The EQE sedan arrives at U.S. dealerships in late 2022 in four guises: base rear-wheel drive EQE 350+, all-wheel drive EQE 350 4Matic and EQE 500 4Matic, and an AMG EQE performance version. Mercedes hasn’t disclosed pricing for any of these models, but the EQE 350 4Matic we tested for this first drive will likely be a mid-tier trim level. Like its EQS sibling, the EQE will also get an SUV variant, which will launch sometime after the sedan version.

Design and interior
The EQE has the same lozenge-like shape as the EQS sedan, which is dictated by aerodynamics. The appeal of the design is up for debate, but the smooth shape reduces aerodynamic drag, which helps improve efficiency and range. Under the skin, the EQE is also based on the same EVA2 architecture as the EQS sedan.
But while the two EQ sedans look similar at first glance, the EQE is a bit smaller than its sibling. It’s 10.6 inches shorter than the EQS sedan, with a 3.5-inch shorter wheelbase. Rear-seat passengers might notice the difference, but like its gasoline E-Class counterpart, the EQE is aimed more at drivers than passengers. Its tidier proportions were also a bit more pleasing to our eyes, making the EQE look sleeker than its sibling.
The interior design is minimalist while still maintaining functionality.