Mercedes-Benz Presents Vision Van, An Autonomous Electric Utility Vehicle

The German company will invest approximately 500 million euros over the next five years to enable the digitalization of vans, complete with automation solutions, as well as robotics and innovative mobility options.

The plan will be done through a new organizational unit, which will operate in Berlin, Stuttgart, and Silicon Valley, and already has approximately 200 employees at work for various projects. The automaker has also revealed a taste of what the future will bring, in the form of the Mercedes-Benz Vision Van Concept.

The concept vehicle is an all-electric model, which can travel up to 270 kilometers (168 miles) on one charge. It comes with a fully automated cargo space, and even integrates drones for the delivery of small objects.

Evidently, a production version of this vehicle is not on the table in its current form, but this concept will inspire the future creations of the van division that belongs to Daimler’s premium brand.

Mercedes-Benz’s Vision Van Concept imagines a solution for last-mile delivery, a term that refers to the part of the supply chain that brings products to an end user.

It is designed to operate in urban and suburban environments. Its creators have imagined it to help a driver deliver multiple parcels In a defined area, on top of conventional solutions (i.e. bringing the package by hand to the recipient’s door).

The German brand expects this solution to boost productivity by up to 50%. The van has a 75 kW electric motor, and can have a range between 80 (50 miles) and 270 kilometers (168 miles), depending on the application.

Each delivery is emission-free, as the future should not have smoggy diesels anywhere. Since it is electric, the entire trip will be silent, thus making it an excellent choice for night-time operation.

The other smart solution imagined by Mercedes-Benz is a robotic sorting system, which allows more accurate parcel placement within a van for each delivery. A driver could set the system to prepare the next package at the door of the vehicle when he has arrived at a preset destination, for example. Two on-board drones can take care of smaller deliveries and on shorter distances.