The Mercedes Update from Google Maps Adds a Huge Amount of Data

When Mercedes-Benz announced ambitious plans with Google to develop its own branded navigation system populated with geospatial data and navigation capabilities from the Google Maps Platform we might have wondered exactly what this would look like.

Now, Mercedes has described how it performed an over-the-air update to its EQS and EQE EVs that installed 200 million points of interest in Google Maps for those drivers. According to software spokeswoman Isabel Meurer, the software installed new photos of these points of interest, their operating hours, comments, and ratings, all available through an on-screen Google search field.

The upgrade was performed in September 2023 and took about an hour, Meurer told Design News.

The Google partnership means that Mercedes drivers will benefit from real-time and predictive traffic information and automatic rerouting in addition to the detailed information on the 200 million (so far) points of interest. The very detailed map information will help the car know things like when to slow for curves while using cruise control

"We invite only the very best partners to enhance our operating system and to add to the Mercedes-Benz customer experience,” said Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius. “Google has been a leader in maps and navigation for many years. With our strategic partnership, we are excited to create unique services and elevate the level of convenience for our customers. It will be deeply integrated within our signature Mercedes-Benz user interface and fully connected to relevant vehicle functions like the state-of-charge."

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Mercedes will also add Google subsidiary YouTube with a native app in the infotainment system for entertainment.

In the future, Mercedes aims to exploit Google's artificial intelligence capabilities. The company says that using Google Cloud's AI and Machine Learning capabilities, it will be able to create, train, and deploy new models at speed and enhance customer experiences.

Mercedes-Benz will also use Google Cloud's fast and efficient data processing platform to analyze data from its vehicle fleet.