Mercedes-Benz’s annual North America dealer meeting was themed “Beyond” and offered an early look into how the nearly century-old inventor of the gasoline-powered vehicle will pivot to an electric century.
Over two days in Vancouver late last week, Mercedes treated more than 350 U.S. and Canadian retailers to a product and technology show-and-tell.
“We are in the middle of a transformation,” Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Dimitris Psillakis told sibling publication Automotive News. “We showed how products and technology support the strategy.”
Mercedes’ Chief Software Officer Magnus Östberg delivered a deep dive into the bespoke operating system underpinning the automaker’s next-generation software-defined vehicles.
Britta Seeger, Mercedes sales and marketing chief, expanded on the digital strategy, where software apps and subscription services will deliver recurring revenue streams for the factory and its retailers.