Mercedes-Benz rolls out pothole warning alerts for select models using Car-to-X Communication system

Mercedes-Benz has rolled out an update for its Car-to-X vehicle communication system, which adds a rather useful feature to the new-gen Mercedes-Benz S-Class, C-Class, and EQS – the system now enables these sedans to automatically detect potholes, which will serve as a warning alert for other Mercedes-Benz vehicles in and around those areas. When the chassis control unit detects a pothole, the Car-to-X Communication service is activated, and an alert is sent to the Mercedes-Benz cloud in real-time through the mobile phone network using positional data. This data is relayed to Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the vicinity. The potholes are registered with icons on the navigation map and about ten seconds before arriving at the spot in the lane, an audible alert is generated with the visual highlight of the icon. The message of the alert reads “Look out, pothole!” [caption id=“attachment_9882501” align=“alignnone” width=“1920”]  For now, the pothole warning alert is available only in the Mercedes-Benz EQS, S-Class and C-Class. Image: Mercedes-Benz[/caption] Car-to-X Communication can also detect and issue alerts for crosswinds, slippery roads, fog lights activation, or even when the windshield wipers are engaged at full speed. The updated features are available in select global markets. To activate the Car-to-X service, a Mercedes-Benz customer must have a ‘meConnect’ account on the MercedesMe Portal or the MercedesMe App, to have the data registered in the vehicle. Once activated, the vehicle-related Car-to-X data is anonymised and sent to the backend. The service is free to use for the first three years, after which it can be renewed for a fee.