London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 09, 2025

BMW takes cues from Apple with radical interior overhaul

BMW takes cues from Apple with radical interior overhaul

BMW AG’s latest prototype could well preview Apple Inc.’s future car: drivers have zero buttons and switches with a super-sleek interior where the windshield acts as a giant voice-controlled display.
Parts of the technologies showcased in the i Vision Dee concept car, on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, will be available as soon as 2025, according to Chief Executive Officer Oliver Zipse. The vehicle — while using Amazon.com Inc. voice recognition know-how — features software mostly developed by BMW in a bid to shut out tech giants.

“We have to be very vigilant not to give away data,” Zipse said during an event in Munich previewing the i Vision Dee.

“Our car will integrate seamlessly into your digital lives to become a true driving companion.”

BMW’s splashy show at CES comes as Apple’s highly secretive car project faces delays to around 2026 as its self-driving plans have proven too ambitious.

But even with the postponement, Apple’s auto push continues to hang over the industry where incumbent manufacturers struggle to integrate complex digital services.

Software delays holding back Volkswagen AG’s EV roll-out felled its CEO last year. Drivers battling frozen screens and patchy over-the-air updates are contributing to VW losing market share in China, its biggest market.

Mercedes-Benz AG last year recalled 9,100 of its flagship electric EQS sedans in the US to fix a software error that risked disabling rear turn signals.

At BMW, which went for a retro-inspired look for the i Vision Dee reminiscent of its 1960s sedans, developers have had a better grasp on adding to digital capabilities.

Since 2019, BMW has been updating car software wirelessly for a broad suite of functions, including infotainment and safety features. At present, more than 3.8 million BMW vehicles receive over-the-air updates regularly.

“Whoever excels at integrating the customer’s digital worlds into the vehicle at all levels will master the future of car-building,” BMW’s development head Frank Weber said in a statement.

Once in the car, drivers can choose five levels of information to be displayed, ranging from basics like speed to augmented reality with navigation cues projected on the road.

Even when driving, short social media messages can pop up on the side.

BMW’s version of Amazon’s Alexa, named Dee, is meant to provide additional assistance. When the driver approaches the vehicle, Dee registers her identity, opens the door automatically and can express moods such as joy or astonishment with visual cues on the grille and headlights.

Putting all information on the windscreen helps to minimize distraction, Zipse said.

BMW, working on a new software-led vehicle platform slated for 2025, said that a head-up display across the windshield will feature in new models made on the “Neue Klasse underpinnings.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×