Mercedes Puts Displays Into Car Glass and Rethinks Battery Electronics
Mercedes-Benz has shown three technologies it is developing for future cars: LED displays built into the window glass, a holographic display in the windscreen and a power converter that manages each battery cell individually. The company presented them on its group website on 3 November, and Auto Express covered them on 4 November. No production dates were given.
Key takeaways
- Display in Glass: LED elements laminated into windows, nearly invisible when off.
- Holo Display: a projector and holographic film turn the windscreen into a screen.
- Each Holo image is visible only from certain angles, so driver and passenger see different content.
- Power Converter: micro-converters per battery cell for a constant output of up to 800 V.
LED displays inside the windows
Display in Glass uses LED elements laminated into the glass that stay almost invisible until they light up. Mini LEDs suit large areas such as the rear window, where they could show brake lights, warning symbols or traffic information to drivers behind. Micro LEDs offer higher resolution for smaller areas and can play animations. Both look like ordinary glass when switched off.
A holographic windscreen
The Holo Display takes the head-up display idea much further. A projector in the instrument panel casts images onto the windscreen, where a transparent laminated film containing holographic optical elements reflects only the projector's light wavelengths. This concentrates the light enough for the image to stay visible in sunshine, and allows far more detailed content than a conventional HUD, including video. Because each image can be seen only from certain angles, a passenger could watch a film without distracting the driver, while the passenger would not see the driver's navigation. Mercedes lists navigation, driving information, points of interest, video calls and films as possible uses.
Battery electronics at cell level
The third project concerns the battery. Programmable micro-converters control the energy flow of individual cells, aiming to deliver a constant high-voltage output of up to 800 V regardless of each cell's state of charge or age. Mercedes says the approach could merge several functions now handled by separate units into one piece of hardware, including AC and DC conversion and bidirectional charging for vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid use. That could make battery packs and power electronics smaller and more modular for both electric cars and plug-in hybrids, with possible gains in range and efficiency. The current generation handles up to 3 kW.
Ida Wolf, vice president for development innovations, operations and digitalisation at Mercedes-Benz AG, said that "the future of mobility is not created through promises, but through precision and proven engineering excellence".
What it means for drivers
None of the three technologies has a launch date yet, so they will not appear in showrooms soon. The window displays raise legal questions too, because brake lights and warning signs are tightly regulated in Europe, and any production version would need approval. The cell-level converter is the most practical idea for owners: if it reaches production, Mercedes expects fewer separate electronic units in the car and easier bidirectional charging at home.
Browse the Mercedes-Benz catalogue or read more about electric cars.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz Group: Innovative display solutions and intelligent high-voltage technology (3 Nov 2026) (accessed 4 Nov 2026)
- Auto Express: Mercedes 'Display in Glass' tech puts screens on the outside of cars (4 Nov 2026) (accessed 4 Nov 2026)
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