Mercedes-Benz tests film-based holographic display to replace dashboard screens

Automakers are increasingly filling car interiors with larger and more numerous digital screens. Mercedes-Benz is developing a new projection system that moves display content off the dashboard and onto the windshield glass.

The technology, currently called the holographic display, functions as an advanced heads-up display. It does not create free-floating images in the air. Instead, it combines a standard projector with a special transparent film laminated directly into the windshield. This film contains holographic optical elements that Mercedes development engineer Lena Hees describes as super-small mirrors. These microscopic components selectively reflect light from the projector. The system keeps the image visible to the driver even in direct sunlight while hiding it from other passengers.

Currently, luxury vehicles use driver-monitoring cameras or screen polarization to prevent drivers from seeing content on passenger-side touchscreens. The new display aims to reduce the need for these physical barriers and complex interior layouts.

Mercedes-Benz is developing this technology as part of a broader industry search for alternatives to expanding screen sizes. As luxury features trickle down to mainstream vehicles, manufacturers face physical limits on how large dashboards can become. The holographic display offers a way to increase information density without adding more physical hardware to the cabin.

The company is currently working on the system, with the film and projector acting as the two main components. The goal is to provide a clearer view of the road while maintaining access to navigation and media data.