At the 2015 Frankfurt motor show, which began in the German city on Monday, virtually every major automaker and their invited guests are celebrating at least a new product which they consider a breakthrough and hope to position it as a leader and a reference point in the auto industry. However, they do so oblivious of what the other company has produced. From the Porsche to Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Hyundai, Kia and Yanfeng, among others, the presentation of the show cars is simply an indication that the future cars are at this year’s Frankfurt auto fair. Even though there is no formal competition among the car makers concerning the best new product, some products will certainly stand out. Talking about the future cars, the Mercedes-Benz team led by Dr. Dieter Zetsche, on Monday unveiled a concept car, a premium autonomous/ driverless vehicle. The Concept IAA or Concept Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile is what the Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars called a digital product. He spoke at a press briefing on Tuesday at the 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show, Germany. His speech may be summarised as ‘don’t just think about innovation, act it’. The new thinking at Mercedes has given birth to digitalisation of products and services, according to the Mercedes-Benz boss, offering more speed, more precision and more diversity. Zetsche says digitalisation has been a central strategic issue in all areas of Mercedes-Benz for several years, noting that technical innovations like driveline electrification and autonomous driving, in particular, would be unthinkable without the digital transformation.
