Mercedes-Benz develops rear-window LED displays, a holographic windscreen and a battery power converter

Glass that shows warnings

Mercedes-Benz is developing an Intelligent Display in Glass system that embeds small LEDs in vehicle glass, as described in an official company statement reported by SAPO after its presentation on Tuesday, 3 November. Mini-LEDs suit larger display areas, while micro-LEDs offer higher resolution on smaller surfaces and can show animations. When the system has nothing to show, the LEDs are close to invisible. The prototype rear windows display a keep-distance message, a warning triangle, an accident pictogram and a pedestrian crossing the road, according to the reports. Handelsblatt adds that side windows could show personalised greetings as someone approaches the car, charging status and small animations.

A windscreen that becomes a screen

A second project would replace large dashboard touchscreens with a holographic display. A projector mounted in the instrument panel casts images onto a transparent film laminated into the windscreen, which reflects them selectively. The driver and the front passenger would see different content, so a passenger could watch a film while the driver sees navigation. Listed applications include navigation, driving data, points of interest, video calls and multimedia. Handelsblatt reports that the images remain visible in direct sunlight and appear only while in use. Asked when the holographic displays could reach series production, the company in Sindelfingen described the work as being at a very early research stage.

Battery cells with their own converters

The third project is the Mercedes-Benz Power Converter for electric cars. Programmable micro-converters would manage the energy flow of individual battery cells and hold a constant high-voltage output of up to 800 volts, regardless of the cells' state of charge or age, according to ANSA. Handelsblatt reports that current battery packs connect cells in series, so the weakest cell limits performance, while the new design would connect all cells in parallel. Each cell, at a nominal voltage of about 3.6 volts, would get its own micro-converter that raises that voltage more than 200-fold. The converter would also support conversion between alternating and direct current and bidirectional charging. Researchers expect broad series use within the next five years, Handelsblatt reports.

Status and open questions

None of the three technologies has a production date. SAPO, citing Motor1, says the rear-window display, the holographic windscreen and the battery converter are part of three research and development projects that Mercedes-Benz presented in 2026, a year that marks 140 years since the automobile was invented. The reports describe all of the displays as projects in development. Mercedes-Benz has not said when, or whether, any of the systems will appear in production models.