Mercedes-Benz’s automotive ecosystem is vast, producing everything from Formula 1 race cars and family transport vehicles to electric vans for urban commuting and transportation. The company’s latest partnership and advancements in concept cars aim to make the world a greener place far beyond exhaust fumes. .
“We are continually paving the way for long-term mobility and we need to be better at everything we do in terms of comfort, engineering (as seen in cars), design, development and generation of our cars in a more sustainable way,” he said. The Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told Newsweek during a presentation in Frankfurt. in Germany.
“For us, this means constantly creating prices for all stakeholders. . . For our customers, for our employees, for investors, but also for our business partners and society as a whole. Economic, environmental and social duties go hand in hand along the way. the entire price chain. . . To ensure the company’s long-term good fortune, we will have to fulfill this duty,” he said.
The generation added to the Mercedes-Benz Sustainer pickup concept truck, which debuted this week, highlights the odds of a greener drop-off point and a cleaner planet.
Sustaineer, whose name is a pioneering and sustainable coat rack, builds on the existing generation of the eSprinter, a battery-electric delivery vehicle sold worldwide. All of the inventions it comprises were designed to eventually be incorporated into long-term production automobiles rather than as grand experiments.
Topics for this new edition of Sustaineer included thermal management, air particulate filtration, and force source opportunities. In addition, engineers worked to design a package delivery formula that would meet the needs of a long-distance delivery center.
Air conditioning systems consume a significant portion of the energy of a battery electric vehicle. Delivery vans have a lower thermal output than cars due to the nature of their driving routines, as well as their bulky length and poor insulation.
Mercedes engineers tackled the challenge head-on: a near-body heater similar to that of the Toyota BZ4X and Lexus RZ to reduce energy consumption by up to 50 percent. Another merit of this technique is that the interior of the van does not cool down. as temporary protection after a shock when the vehicle doors are opened and closed.
The heating surfaces are located at the feet, on the driver’s door and on the steering column panels.
Sustaineer also uses zonal WeatherArray that modern cars would possibly be familiar with if they had a two-, three-, or four-zone climate style with other temperatures and fan speeds allowed for each.
Sustainer is about to introduce the innovation of street air purification into a production vehicle. A front cleaning module, installed in addition to the vehicle’s classic air purifier, aims to remove airborne debris that moves around the eSprinter while driving.
Developed in collaboration with filtration specialist Mann Hummel, the cleaner is capable of removing particles by up to 55 percent, mainly from tires, brakes and asphalt.
Cleanliness has been tested for more than a year in real conditions. The Österreichische Post in Graz provided the cleanings to two eSprinters and then traveled a total of 22,680 miles from August 2022 to November 2023.
Analysis of the debris captured by the filters on those trips indicated that 35 per cent of that waste was direct emissions from vehicles. 61 percent of the debris came from road abrasion and debris lifted the trip.
Sustaineer’s roof is covered with 4. 8 square meters of solar panels that produce up to 850 watts of force at their peak. In a sunny country, the panels can produce enough force to give an eSprinter 10 to 15 miles of extra electrical diversity in a day.
Mercedes notes that greater diversity is attractive for companies with delivery routes, but also for travellers or campers who can use their eSprinter as accommodation during their holiday. With a solar panel on top, the van can easily transport home appliances and small appliances to help adventurers. Be more independent, connected, and comfortable when they’re out and about.
It also eliminates the need for an on-board generator powered by diesel or gasoline.
Mercedes has partnered with Onomotion, a Berlin-based manufacturer of shipping motorcycles, to equip Sustaineer with a flexible delivery center that replaces a depot and functions as a micro-depot.
Each e-shipping motorcycle has a travel distance of 15. 5 kilometers and includes an enclosed cab, operating devices for classic bikes, and a specially provided dock where a shipping container can be placed. The complete unit is as long as a classic motorcycle plus a children’s motorcycle trailer. which means it fits into tight parking spaces.
Up to two large, enclosed shipping boxes can be stored in the back of the Sustaineer and transported, emission-free, from a production facility to the city, where they are delivered via a motorcycle shipping service. Each container has a shipping volume of 70 cubic liters. feet and a payload capacity of up to 440 pounds.
A specially designed lift allows the Onomotion wheeled boxes to be removed from the van and then hooked to the bike. The entire operation is electronically assisted and can be performed by a single person.
Mercedes said at a press conference that this type of micro-deposit technique “increases power and reduces delivery times” in both urban and rural areas, and is suitable for a wide variety of industries: mail and parcel, bakery and workwear, among others.
Because the eSprinter is a battery-electric vehicle, it doesn’t run noisily at idle or release pollutants into the environment when it’s on the sidewalk, as many delivery cars do.
The eSpringer plus motorcycle shipping system would also be implemented in an express city if it were to hit the market, making it possible to penetrate where motorcycle drop-off hubs likely already exist, such as Amsterdam, London, New York, and Berlin, among others. other.
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Auto team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the automotive sector for U. S. News.