Mercedes-Benz developing electric van with delivery drone

The urban delivery van of the future will be an electric vehicle with a fully automated cargo space inside, as well as an integrated drone for last mile parcel drops according to Mercedes-Benz.

An electric vehicle study called the Vision Van is part of the Mercedes-Benz Vans ‘adVANce’ initiative to expand its growth strategy and develop new business models.

Mercedes-Benz Vans says it is no longer just a vehicle manufacturer, but a provider of system solutions and will offer integrated and intelligent systems in addition to its Van products in the future. 

Over the next five years, Mercedes-Benz Vans says it will invest more than 500 million euros for digitalisation, automation and robotics in vans as well as innovating new mobility solutions.

Mercedes-Benz Vans says the adVANce initiative is allowing it to adapt to rapidly changing customer requirements such as the burgeoning business in food and everyday necessities ordered online.

It says demand for same-day delivery or delivery within an hour is increasing rapidly. At the same time, more and more people are living in cities – by 2030 urban areas will be home to more than two-thirds of the world’s population.

Mercedes-Benz Vans says the Vision Van provides for these new customer requirements by combining innovative solutions for last-mile delivery in urban and suburban environments.

It is the first global van to fully digitally connect all people and processes involved, from the distribution centre to the consignee.

Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz says it is the first van yet to feature a fully automated cargo space and integrated delivery drones.

If a parcel service provider stops the vehicle in a residential area, it will be possible to deliver multiple packages to nearby consignees autonomously by air – even if they are not at home – in addition to manual delivery.

This system makes the driver’s job easier, reduces the delivery time and offers end customers new opportunities such as same-day delivery at an agreed time.

Mercedes-Benz Vans envisages deployment of the Vision Van boosting efficiency by up to 50% on the last mile. The vehicle is equipped with a 75 kW electric drive and – depending on the application – has a range of 80 km to approximately 270 km.

Mercedes-Benz Vans is integrating smart technologies into the van, which increase its efficiency and make it a central component of the digital value chain.

One example is developing a telematics unit for vans which collects and processes data concerning the status of the delivery, present location, and the load, and sends this information to the distribution manager. By doing this, it is possible to monitor and manage last-minute changes within the fleet efficiently from a central point.

Mercedes-Benz Vans is also working on automated cargo space systems for delivery vehicles for parcel services.

Until now, drivers need to rearrange their packages (on average around 180 per load) ten times while making deliveries within a residential area and schedule approximately three to four minutes per stop.

New, interconnected cargo space systems make loading and unloading much faster, thereby increasing process efficiency.

One-shot loading (loading the vehicle with all pre-picked parcels in one go) cuts loading times considerably and reduces the amount of vehicle downtime at distribution centres.

When the driver is unloading, the system will show him/her the exact load configuration and make the right package available at the right time for delivery depending on the delivery destination.

The team at Mercedes-Benz Vans also has the integration of autonomous delivery systems such as drones or self-driving robots in mind.