In a time when work often creeps into our personal lives, Mercedes-Benz is taking it a step further, aiming to turn your car into a mobile office. Picture this: the quiet hum of your engine suddenly joined by the sound of a video call – that’s the new reality Mercedes sees with its bold move to add Microsoft Teams to its cars. But while the fancy carmaker talks up “getting work done” on the road, many drivers and safety experts are hitting the brakes on this idea. They’re asking if this new feature is really smart or just a dangerous distraction waiting to happen.
Mercedes Turns Your Car into a Conference Room with Teams Integration
Mercedes-Benz is set to transform the way we think about in-car productivity, introducing a bold new feature that allows drivers to participate in video calls while on the go. Thanks to a collaboration with Microsoft, the German luxury automaker will integrate an enhanced version of the Microsoft Teams app directly into its vehicles.
This innovative step means that soon, Mercedes owners will be able to join meetings with colleagues right from behind the wheel. According to a company press release, the system will even let drivers use the car’s built-in camera, allowing other participants to see them during a call. There’s a catch for safety, though: the driver will not be able to see any shared screens or slides while in motion as the meeting video stream turns off automatically as soon as the in-car camera is activated.
Internet Mocks Mercedes’ Video Call Feature
While Mercedes-Benz hails its new in-car video calling feature as setting a new standard for in-car productivity, potential buyers and everyday drivers are singing a very different tune. Many are calling it a nightmare for work-life balance and a serious risk to safety on the roads.
The sentiment quickly spread like wildfire online. One X (formerly Twitter) user didn’t hold back, calling the collaboration “not a single soul” asked for. This post alone went viral, racking up 2.8 million views and sparking a flurry of memes across the platform. View the viral post below:
No one:
Absolutely no one:
Not a single soul on this Earth:
Mercedes-Benz: We are integrating Microsoft Teams into our vehicles.
— Douglas A. Boneparth (@dougboneparth) July 27, 2025
Another user sarcastically remarked, “I thought that was a parody story when I first saw it. I can just imagine how that internal conversation went…. We’ve seen how Jaguar torched their brand.. we don’t want to be seen as derivative.. what does the GenZ intern who doesn’t have a drivers license think?” The idea of a quiet drive becoming another work opportunity struck a nerve. A third person lamented, “Can’t even have peace while driving now. Insane. Bring back the days of travel without constant connection.” Someone else flat-out called it “Literally putting the worst possible feature in to a car.”
The sarcasm continued with one X user quipping, “A car provides the means to travel from one location to another, but what drivers really need is a Monday morning meeting on the autobahn!” For many, this feature was a deal-breaker, with several X users stating it would deter them from buying a Mercedes vehicle in the future. Others simply labeled it as potentially “dangerous” or “distracting” while driving.
The strong negative reactions weren’t limited to X. On Team BHP, a popular Indian car forum, users were equally horrified. One user joked, “Looks like it was specially made for Bangalore. Anyway people are stuck in traffic, let’s make the most of it,” referencing the city’s notorious traffic jams. Another lightened the mood with, “Oh that’s great! Now they’ll get to see me curse at the traffic all the way to my office now!” Clearly, the notion of turning drive time into meeting time has hit a raw nerve with the driving public.
No Response from Mercedes or Microsoft—Yet
Despite the growing backlash, neither Mercedes-Benz nor Microsoft has publicly responded to the wave of criticism surrounding the new in-car video meeting feature. As of now, it looks like the automaker is driving forward with the rollout—focusing on its intended benefits and built-in safeguards, rather than directly acknowledging the widespread public outcry regarding potential distractions or the erosion of work-life balance.
Source: Hindustan Times