Tag: Strategy

Orders in: 1,000 buyers in Norway reserve coming all-electric BMW iX3 crossover SUV

BMW Concept iX3
BMW opened order books for its upcoming electric iX3 in Europe at the beginning of September, and the company already has deposits for 1,000 in Norway.

In a page out of the Tesla playbook, the Norwegian buyers each put down deposits of almost $1,900 (1,600 Euros.)

News of the deposits was first reported by the Express in Britain.

DON'T MISS: BMW iX3 to be built in China, exported worldwide

BMW introduced the iX3 concept at the Beijing auto show in April, but has not yet shown a production version. The iX3 will be built in China and exported around the world.

Unlike the BMW Vision iNext concept the company previewed in New York last week, the iX3 is based on an existing gas-powered X3 SUV.

The electric SUV will use a 70-kwh lithium battery mounted under the floor to give the iX3 an estimated range of 249 miles, based on the new European WLTP test cycle. That number may be smaller on the more stringent EPA test cycle in the U.S. when it arrives next year.

READ THIS: BMW debuts iX3 SUV electric car

It will incorporate 150-kw DC fast-charge capability that BMW says will recharge about 192 miles in 30 minutes. The electric motor will put out 270 horsepower.

BMW has not announced whether the electric version of the X3 will have all-wheel drive.

The iX3 will be the first electric car under a new strategy from BMW that bases electric cars on existing, steel-bodied models, rather than developing dedicated, lightweight carbon-fiber chassis for its electric models as it did for the i3 and the i8.

Ride-hailing startup Shohoz raises $15M to build the Grab of Bangladesh

Uber may be global but it is very much the alternative in some parts of the world. One such place is Bangladesh — the South Asian country that’s home to 160 million people — where local rival Pathao is backed by Go-Jek and recently raised $10 million. Now Pathao’s closest rival, Shohoz, has also pulled in… Continue reading Ride-hailing startup Shohoz raises $15M to build the Grab of Bangladesh

Knight Foundation devotes $5.25 million to studying last-mile autonomous car service

Autonomous car technology is progressing at a rapid clip. Google spinoff Waymo’s fleet has racked up more than 8 million real-world miles, and Cruise, the driverless car division of General Motors, managed in one year to reduce its cars’  disengagements from once every 35 miles to once every 1,250. But when self-driving vehicles hit the road… Continue reading Knight Foundation devotes $5.25 million to studying last-mile autonomous car service

IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018: Mercedes-Benz Vans plans new range for autonomous driving – announces far-reaching mobility

19.

September 2018

Stuttgart

Vision URBANETIC – autonomous driving platform with cargo or people-mover body Expansion of adVANce strategic future initiative with “ AUTONOMOUS@VANS” field of innovation Plans for a new range of autonomous vans Far-reaching cooperation with BASF in electric mobility, digitalisation and autonomous driving
At the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018, Mercedes-Benz Vans is presenting Vision URBANETIC, a revolutionary mobility concept that goes way beyond existing ideas on autonomous vehicles. Vision URBANETIC removes the separation between people moving and goods transportation. The concept reduces traffic flows, relieves city-centre infrastructures and contributes to a new quality of urban life.
One part of this vision, which was revealed for the first time on 10 September in Copenhagen, is set to become reality in the not too distant future. Mercedes-Benz Vans is planning a new range of autonomous vehicles. The new member of the Mercedes-Benz Vans family will be based on an all-electric chassis. Depending on the configuration, the new van will either move people or transport goods. Mercedes-Benz Vans is forming a new organisational unit to bring the new autonomous model range to fruition.
Far-reaching cooperation with BASF in electric mobility, digitalisation and autonomous driving
“Vision URBANETIC is a mobility platform in the truest sense of the word. We have developed a vision that makes commercial sense for companies and that can make the city of the future more liveable for its inhabitants. Exactly these principles make Vision URBANETIC a symbol of future mobility. Together with our customers, we are field testing technology elements of Vision URBANETIC. We will work closely with BASF in electric mobility, digitalisation and autonomous driving to learn from one another. It will enable us to focus the holistic mobility solutions of Mercedes-Benz Vans even more on individual customer needs”, explains Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.
In a first step, BASF will shortly introduce an on-demand ridesharing system at its Ludwigshafen facility. It features technology from ViaVan, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Vans and US startup Via. Further projects are set to follow in the years ahead, including an electric, fully connected and autonomous shuttle on the factory site. “The aim of our far-reaching cooperation with BASF is to expand our ridesharing service with autonomous components and thereby make logistics at the Ludwigshafen plant even more efficient as well as more convenient for employees”, continues Mornhinweg.
Vision URBANETIC – autonomous driving platform featuring interchangeable people-moving and cargo modules
The Vision URBANETIC mobility concept addresses the urban challenges of the future and offers innovative solutions. The visionary vehicle is based on an autonomous, electrically powered driving platform that can carry different interchangeable bodies for people moving or goods transportation and is embedded in a self learning IT infrastructure. As a ridesharing vehicle, Vision URBANETIC can carry up to twelve passengers, while the cargo module can accommodate up to ten EPAL palettes. It offers a load length of 3.70 metres in an overall vehicle length of 5.14 metres. The concept also incorporates an IT infrastructure that analyses supply and demand within a defined mobility space. The result is an autonomous fleet operating on routes planned flexibly and efficiently based on current transport needs. All this makes Vision URBANETIC a groundbreaking concept for future urban mobility.
But Vision URBANETIC goes one step further. Thanks to full connectivity, the use of local information and intelligent control, not only can the system analyse current needs, it can also learn from them, making it capable of anticipating and reacting to future needs. This can optimise processes, shorten waiting or delivery times and avoid traffic jams. For instance, the overall system can use the data captured in the Vehicle Control Centre to identify a gathering of people in a specific area. Based on this, it can proactively send vehicles there to directly address the increased need, satisfying it quickly and efficiently. The system can thus respond flexibly and is not based on rigid routes or fixed timetables. As a fully networked vehicle, Vision URBANETIC is part of an ecosystem in which commercial and private mobility wishes are transmitted digitally. Vision URBANETIC collates these needs and fulfils them with a highly flexible fleet, facilitating a considerable improvement in the use of resources.
Expansion of the adVANce strategic future initiative
Vision URBANETIC marks the expansion of the Mercedes-Benz Vans adVANce strategy with the AUTONOMOUS@VANS field of innovation. The company is thus underscoring the crucial importance of autonomous driving to the future transportation of people and goods – and thus, above all, its role as a gamechanger for existing business models. For Mercedes-Benz Vans, the addition of AUTONOMOUS@VANS is another important and determined step on the path to becoming a holistic mobility provider.
The adVANce future initiative concentrates on fields of innovation that are key to the future success of the transport and logistics sectors. The eDRIVE@VANS innovation field deals with electrification of the van portfolio. In “connectivity and the internet of things (IoT) applications”, the focus is on optimum integration of diverse digital technologies into Mercedes-Benz Vans products (DIGITAL@VANS). “Innovative hardware solutions” (SOLUTIONS@VANS) pursues the aim of continuous improvement of load-space logistics and adaptation to the changing demands of the transport industry. Mercedes-Benz Van Rental marks the first time a brand has focused exclusively on van rental (RENTAL@VANS). An initial example of the development of innovative sharing products is the joint venture with US startup Via (SHARING@VANS), which successfully launched in Amsterdam in April 2018. ViaVan is now also up-and-running in London and, since the start of September, in Berlin with BVG. Further cities will follow.
Further show highlights across all model ranges
Alongside Vision URBANETIC, the stage on Hanover 2018 also belongs to the new Sprinter. Be it Panel Van, Tourer, Chassis Cab, front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, low-emissions diesel engine, all-electric or Concept Sprinter F-CELL with fuel cell drive – the Sprinter has the right answer for all today’s and tomorrow’s questions. From its attractive design to new safety and assistance systems, connectivity as standard or its completely new cockpit with groundbreaking infotainment system, the Sprinter continues to build on its leading role in the 3.5-tonne GVW class.
The new Sprinter is flanked on the exhibition grounds by the Vito and V-Class, Citan and X-Class, which celebrates its IAA Commercial Vehicles premiere. The Vito boasts a new infotainment system with touchscreen and integrated navigation. Its dynamic character is underscored by the optional Vito Line Sport equipment line with an attractive and extensive package of features.
Customer deliveries of the electric eVito will commence at the end of the year, with the eSprinter following in 2019. Mercedes-Benz Vans is thus pushing forward with the electrification of its commercial model range, incorporating tailormade total-system solutions as well as comprehensive consultancy services, charging infrastructure, bespoke digital services and more.

Press Contact

Florian Hofmann

Product Communications Mercedes-Benz Vans, Van Technology Communications

florian.hofmann@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-46643

Fax: +49 711 17-79071936

Andrea Eberhardt

Product Communications Mercedes-Benz Vans

andrea.eberhardt@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-84020

Fax: +49 711 17-1779097330

Thomas Christian Rosenthal

Product Communications adVANce and Future Transportation

thomas_christian.rosenthal@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 1740286

Fax: +49 711 1779029941

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