Mercedes-Benz previews three new technologies, including holographic displays and an 800V power converter

Mercedes-Benz is developing three new automotive technologies focused on in-car displays, road safety and EV energy management.

The innovations include LED displays integrated into vehicle windows, a holographic head-up display for the windscreen and a new Power Converter system capable of delivering up to 800V.

The Power Converter currently has a maximum output of 3kW and supports both AC and DC power conversion, with bidirectional charging also planned for the future.

The technologies were outlined in a Mercedes-Benz press release on 3 November 2026. The company is presenting them as part of its 140th-anniversary celebrations, with each project exploring ways to improve the driving experience and the efficiency of future vehicle systems.

LED displays integrated into vehicle windows

Mercedes-Benz is exploring ways to embed LED display elements directly into vehicle glass, allowing cars to communicate warnings and other information to people outside the vehicle.

Potential applications include safety alerts, warning symbols and traffic-related messages.

The research covers both Mini LED and Micro LED technology. Mini LEDs are intended for larger display areas, such as the rear windscreen, where they could show brake-light signals, warning symbols and traffic information. Micro LEDs offer higher resolution and could be used in smaller areas to display more detailed content, including animations.

The LEDs would be embedded within the glass laminate, making them almost invisible when switched off. If developed for production, the technology could give vehicle windows a new role beyond providing visibility and natural light, allowing them to act as communication surfaces for other road users.

Holographic windscreen display

Mercedes-Benz is also working on a holographic display system that could bring navigation, driving information and entertainment directly to the windscreen, reducing the need for conventional in-car screens.

The system uses projectors housed in the dashboard to cast images onto the windscreen. A special transparent film within the glass contains Holographic Optical Elements (HOE), which selectively reflect specific wavelengths of light from the projectors to create the visible images.

Mercedes-Benz says the technology concentrates light to keep the images visible even in bright sunlight. It also controls the viewing angle, so the driver cannot see information intended for the front passenger, and vice versa. This allows different content to be displayed to each occupant.

Possible applications include navigation, vehicle data, points of interest (POIs), video calls and entertainment. The system is designed to show information when needed rather than keeping a display permanently in view, helping to preserve the cabin's uncluttered layout.

Power Converter

The third project, the Power Converter, focuses on improving battery architecture and power management in future electric vehicles.

It uses programmable micro-converters to control the flow of energy at individual battery-cell level, while providing a stable high-voltage output of up to 800V. Mercedes-Benz says this output is designed to remain independent of the battery's state of charge and level of ageing.

The current generation delivers up to 3kW and supports both AC and DC power conversion.

Mercedes-Benz is also looking at adding bidirectional charging, including Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) functions. This would allow a compatible electric vehicle to supply power to a home or the electricity grid, rather than simply drawing energy from an external source.

The company is investigating how multiple Power Converter modules could be arranged in parallel across individual battery cells or battery packs. Software would manage the flow of energy between the modules to provide a stable high-voltage DC output.

This approach could offer greater flexibility in battery and power electronics design, while potentially combining functions that currently rely on separate hardware.

Mercedes-Benz believes the technology could improve the efficiency of future electric vehicle energy systems and offer new possibilities for both battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. However, it has yet to provide production-ready figures showing how the system might affect driving range or charging times.

Source: Mercedes-Benz Media

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