Mercedes-Benz is working on two technologies that could reshape how electric vehicles communicate with their surroundings and manage power, according to a report by Gasgoo (盖世汽车), republished by Chinese outlet D1EV.
The first is a display system that embeds LED elements directly into the vehicle's glass. When active, the rear window can selectively show warning symbols, safety signs, or traffic-related information to vehicles behind. When not in use, the elements are nearly invisible, blending into the laminated glass. Two LED types are being developed: Mini LED for larger areas like the rear window, suitable for brake lights and warnings, and Micro LED for high-resolution content in smaller zones, such as animations.
Holographic windshield as an interactive surface
Beyond windows, Mercedes is exploring a holographic display that turns the windshield into an interactive interface. A projector in the dashboard beams content onto the glass, where a transparent film with a holographic optical element (HOE) reflects specific wavelengths. The system keeps images clear even in direct sunlight and restricts visibility to certain angles, so the driver cannot see passenger-side content and vice versa. This allows the windshield to serve for navigation, video calls, driving data, or entertainment on demand, without permanent changes to the vehicle's exterior.
On the electrical side, Mercedes has developed a "power converter" that uses programmable micro-converters to manage energy flow at the individual cell level. This maintains a constant high voltage, up to 800 volts, regardless of the battery's state of charge (SOC) or age. The current generation delivers up to 3 kW and supports AC/DC conversion and bidirectional charging, including vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G).
The converter decouples high voltage from battery architecture: instead of the pack directly determining voltage, software-controlled power electronics generate it. This could allow more flexible, efficient, and compact battery and powertrain designs. Deployed modularly at the cell or cell-group level, multiple converters can operate in parallel, independently regulating energy flow and providing a stable high-voltage DC output. Total power can be scaled to suit different vehicles, and voltage no longer depends on the number of series-connected cells.
In future architectures, the power converter could integrate functions currently handled by separate components into a single hardware unit. Mercedes says this could improve range and efficiency while enabling more modular development of powertrains for both BEVs (battery-electric vehicles) and PHEVs (plug-in hybrids).
