“The future is fully electric,” the president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand), Christian Schell, declared, expressing his confidence in the automobile's future path. This was emphasized in the first half of 2026 by the oil crisis, when people turned to buying electric vehicles (EVs) in fear of fuel shortages. Even so, there will be some who prefer cars that run on fossil fuel, and that is the current gap that car manufacturers need to bridge.
From the current landscape of the automotive industry, to technologies that will shape how we drive and the importance of 140 years of heritage for a car brand, in this episode of ‘Bangkok Post’s Mind The Gap: The Road Ahead – What Will We Be Driving Next?’, two car enthusiasts discuss the past and the future of the vehicles we drive.
Shift in the automotive industry
“Let's say that the change is real and the change is there. But the change is not only there since today, it's already here, since yesterday,” Christian told co-host Thitipong Phawadee, a Network Operations Centre engineer, when asked about the trend shift toward EVs.
While the war in the Middle East and the oil crisis certainly boosted the move to EVs, Christian said the shift had been gradual, apparent for many years now. Mercedes-Benz had been locally producing battery electric vehicles since 2022. However, not everyone was willing to jump to the new technology.
Plug-in Hybrids “the best of both worlds”
Dubbed “the best of both worlds”, plug-in hybrid vehicles offer a transitional approach for those who prefer peace of mind when travelling long distances and worry about charging, while also wanting a taste of the future.
“Well, I don't have a phone or Google with me. But I think, let me guess, around 60 kilometres,” Thitipong said of the range of Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrid vehicles, and then corrected himself.
“Even more," he said. "We're getting a 100 kilometres fully-electric range in our plug-in hybrids.”
What you can do with 100 kilometres, as Christian pointed out, is that you can stay fully electric for a daily commute that is less than 100 kilometres. For longer distances, to other provinces for example, you also have the combustion engine, so you don’t have to worry about charging stations.
Thitipong agreed, “I think plug-in hybrid because I still prefer to have that sense of security where if I'm running low on electric power I can go to a petrol station and just get some to go home.”
The power of Formula One made safe on everyday roads
Speaking of technology, Christian asked Thitipong what automotive technologies he was most passionate about, as an engineer.
“The ones that improve the vehicle’s performance, efficiency and safety,” Thitipong replied.
He said he enjoys seeing how fully electric modern engines deliver strong performance while being efficient in their energy consumption, all the while implementing safety technologies like Advanced Driver Assistance Systems that help improve safety.
Christian added that what Mercedes currently has in terms of technology comes from Formula One racing. The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupé, for example, is “kind of a Formula One car which you're allowed to drive on the road”.
“Even when the acceleration is below three seconds, from zero to 100, or even below two seconds, I always feel safe,” he said. “Safety is one of our core values at Mercedes-Benz. And safety is always at the top of our mind, besides the topic of performance that you just mentioned. Both are, I would say, equally important. If you buy a Mercedes-Benz, even a non-AMG, you get both.”
A self-driving car, the future that is already here
Thitipong then turned the question back on Chirstian: “What is the next innovation you are most excited about? Like one that changes the way, not just how we drive, but the way we interact with the machine.”
One technology Christian pointed to is the integration of Artificial Intelligence into cars. He said he very often does not focus 100% on driving anymore, with the car doing stuff on its own. “You know, there we are already on the next level. The car is driving on its own. The car is super, super safe… So the future is now already there, and it will evolve further, believe me,” he added.
A European brand against the rise of Chinese EVs
Closing the episode with the elephant in the room, how a European marque like Mercedes-Benz deals with the popularity of Chinese EVs.
“It’s heritage,” Christian said. “We bring 140 years of heritage. We bring a lot of skills, a lot of things that we learned from the past, and are now translating that into the future. We have great minds, great engineers who are developing the technology of the future. And that's somehow what we're believing in, what our customers are believing in.”
With that ‘Bangkok Post’s Mind The Gap: The Road Ahead – What Will We Be Driving Next?’ comes to an end. This episode not only bridges the gap between two car lovers who are from different fields of expertise, but also between electric vehicles and combustion engines, as well as the 140 years of motoring history that is helping build the future of the automotive sector.
“Wow, sounds like a bright future,” Thitipong exclaimed.
