Mercedes joins with Google to add maps, data and YouTube in the car

It’s a partnership made in high-tech heaven: Google teaming with Mercedes-Benz to construct an advanced in-car digital information system based on geospatial data and the Google Maps Platform.

To be branded as a Mercedes product as part of the company’s upcoming MB.OS operating system, the offering will provide “detailed information about places, real-time and predictive traffic information, automatic rerouting, and more,” according to a statement by Mercedes. It will also bring Cloud and the YouTube app into the automotive environment.

Both companies say that the pairing will be the start of a long-term strategic partnership to tailor a “superior navigation experience, thanks to easy usability and outstanding graphics on the car’s high-resolution screen.’

“This is a licensing agreement that is a ‘win-win’ for both parties,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said at a press briefing Wednesday during an event at its research and development center in Sunnyvale, California. “We’re the full architects of the stack.”

Starting right away, the automaker said that it will give customers access to initial new features like Place Details, provided by Google. The new feature will be provided via an over-the-air software update. The carmaker also said that it intends to use Google Cloud’s A.I. and Machine Learning capabilities to “create new models at speed and enhance customer experiences.”