Photo: Mercedes-Benz
The contactless experience has become a must-have since the beginning of 2020 for obvious reasons. Since then, more and more carmakers have tried to provide their customers with solutions to make certain common everyday operations as seamless as possible.
The latest to do so is Mercedes, which has recently updated its Mercedes me app with a new feature called “Fuel & Pay,” which is supposed to make refueling the car almost entirely digital.
The way it works is as automated as possible. Drivers simply need to turn to the navigation system on their head units to drive to a gas station. Upon arrival, the Mercedes me app can automatically detect the filling station using geofencing, with the driver then required to select the pump they want to use.
Based on car data, the system can automatically determine the type of fuel and the maximum amount needed at any given moment, and using live information on the price, it can display how much the driver would have to pay for the refuel.
As Mercedes itself explains, the only non-digital thing in the whole process is the refueling itself, as the driver still needs to operate the pump. But once they’re done, the system automatically makes the payment and sends the receipt by email and in the Mercedes me inbox.
The payment can be completed via the mobile app or the head unit, so in theory, you may not even have to touch your phone for the whole thing.
The new features are available as part of the latest Mercedes me app update for iPhone and Android and require a credit card to be enrolled. On the other hand, it's worth knowing that the feature is first going live for customers in Germany. More markets, including Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland, are supposed to receive the same update by the end of this year.
The way it works is as automated as possible. Drivers simply need to turn to the navigation system on their head units to drive to a gas station. Upon arrival, the Mercedes me app can automatically detect the filling station using geofencing, with the driver then required to select the pump they want to use.
Based on car data, the system can automatically determine the type of fuel and the maximum amount needed at any given moment, and using live information on the price, it can display how much the driver would have to pay for the refuel.
As Mercedes itself explains, the only non-digital thing in the whole process is the refueling itself, as the driver still needs to operate the pump. But once they’re done, the system automatically makes the payment and sends the receipt by email and in the Mercedes me inbox.
The payment can be completed via the mobile app or the head unit, so in theory, you may not even have to touch your phone for the whole thing.
The new features are available as part of the latest Mercedes me app update for iPhone and Android and require a credit card to be enrolled. On the other hand, it's worth knowing that the feature is first going live for customers in Germany. More markets, including Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland, are supposed to receive the same update by the end of this year.
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