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Daimler AG premiered three vehicles that would address challenges such as emission, noise and congestion, which the urban population is confronted with, at an exhibition in Hanover today.
Concepts of the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck, the Future Bus and the Vision Van were unveiled by the German auto major at the 66th IAA Commercial Vehicles exhibition in Hanover.
“If IAA 2014 was about Daimer’s vision for long-haul transportation, IAA 2016, is all about making urban transport efficient, safe and connected,” said Dr Wolfgang Bernhard, Member of the board of management of Daimler AG, Daimler Trucks and Buses. These three vehicles would address challenges such as emission, noise and congestion, which the urban population is confronted with, he added.
With no limitations to the payload, revolutionary display and control systems and intelligent communication capabilities with its environment, the design of the eTruck is both exciting and practical. The truck comes with a total battery (lithium ion) capacity of 212 kWh, providing a range of up to 200 km, normally enough to last for a day’s delivery round. The eTruck is expected to begin production in 2020. “The semi-autonomous Future Bus comes with a ‘city pilot’ system that has the capability to take cognisance of road signals, brakes automatically when encountering obstacles or pedestrians and recognises tunnels,” explained Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses. While the interior is modelled on public spaces such as squares and parks, this bus comes with probably the most advanced diesel engine in the world for city buses – the Mercedes Benz OM 936 six-cylinder in-line engine. The electrically powered Vision Van, with automated cargo bays and integrated delivery drones and used for last mile delivery services, was also unveiled. Production is expected in 2018. All the three vehicles are expected to be sold only in mature markets though and an India launch is not on the radar right now.
Besides, keeping in tune with its theme for IAA 2016, ‘Connected and Intelligent. Ahead of time’, Daimler introduced products such as the Mercedes-Benz Uptime service product and a FleetBoard Manager app to improve connectivity in its trucks. The vans division showcased its initiatives for the future, such as the Mercedes-Benz adVANce and Mercedes PRO connect. Daimler Buses also introduced its ‘Omniplus’ feature, where the company will take over maintenance services in the customer’s repair facility.
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