Disruptions due to digitalisation, Big Data and automation, increasing goods flows and future legal requirements – how Mercedes-Benz Trucks responds to the changes and harnesses the technical progress for its customers

• Around 100 international trade journalists attended the "FutureLab" to find out how Mercedes-Benz Trucks is today developing trucks for the future and to discuss the challenges of road freight transport with Daimler experts
• Under the umbrella of the CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services, Electric) group strategy, Daimler advances technological developments in all four areas
• With the "RoadEfficiency 2030" strategy, Mercedes-Benz Trucks combines the aspiration for technology leadership with customer expectations regarding low overall costs, high safety levels and maximum vehicle availability 

Stuttgart, 26.6.2018 – Perform complicated fuel consumption calculations for sophisticated trucks with just a few mouse clicks, design your own truck cockpit of the future using a drawing pencil backed up by a computer, or discuss alternative drive technologies and logistics concepts with experts – as part of the "FutureLab@Mercedes-Benz Trucks" around 100 international trade journalists today took an exclusive look behind the scenes in the Application Information Centre at the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant.

A total of seven workshops gave the press representatives the opportunity to look at solution approaches for facing up to the increasingly stiff challenges in road freight transport. The workshop topics:

1. Digital mindset

2. Beyond diesel – what comes next? 

3. Design inside out

4. New era of legislation

5. Active accident avoidance

6. Insight into automation

7. Efficiency challenge 

By way of introduction, Stefan Buchner, Member of the Divisional Board of Daimler Trucks & Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, welcomed the participants and underlined the aspirations for the future: "We invented the truck and will continue to set the pace for its further development." Buchner: "The truck of the future will resolve many unanswered questions. It will be more efficient, safe and effective than ever. It will feature new technologies and systems that support our customers and their drivers in their day-to-day work. And it will above all score highly with its intelligence and inner values. If we think about a new truck today, we mainly think of its inner workings: How do we network its synapses? How do we sharpen its senses? However, we don't contemplate changing its appearance – unless a different design enables us to also improve the truck's performance."

Steffen Kaup, Head of the 'Future Research Transport and Logistics' team at Daimler AG, looked several decades ahead and set the extended framework for the event. "The world of international goods transport is undergoing radical upheaval. We are preparing for this on all levels here at Mercedes-Benz Trucks." New technologies and digital transformation give rise to new business lines in a minimum of time. Another major challenge for all those involved is the continually rising goods volume accompanied by increased time and cost pressure. Even the traffic networks are reaching the limits of their capabilities here. Over and above this, more stringent statutory emissions limits likewise pose a challenge for manufacturers and logistics providers. "Here we are challenged to offer our customers solutions that are efficient over the medium and long term, too," states Kaup.

As a technology leader in the industry, Daimler always addresses social and economic trends at an early stage. With the focus on four future topics – Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services and Electric (CASE) – the company is driving forward technical progress across a broad front. The goal is to extend the technology lead Mercedes-Benz Trucks has already established.

Customer benefit takes centre stage in "RoadEfficiency 2030"

With "RoadEfficiency 2030", Mercedes-Benz Trucks is backing a strategy that consistently focuses on customer benefit through low overall costs, high levels of safety and maximum vehicle availability. There is also more of a focus on the driver as a 'RoadStar', who receives even greater assistance. The driver benefits from optimised ergonomics, intuitive operability and a cab that allows even better recuperation during rest periods. The focus on the driver complements the classic evolution fields such as optimisation of the powertrain, further development of the safety and assistance systems, and lowering of maintenance costs. New technologies such as digital networking are used consistently, and the truck will be developed "from the inside out" in future.

Future Truck 2025 as a technology platform, platooning and eActros

It has already begun: with the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025, unveiled at the 2014 International Commercial Vehicle Show. The Future Truck 2025 is now an industry-wide symbol for the transport system of the future. It sets the agenda for upcoming product developments and facelifts as part of the 'RoadEfficiency 2030' strategy. Even back then, assistance systems were networked with each other intelligently. The result was increased safety, lower fuel consumption and also improved working conditions for professional truck drivers. At the same time, the Future Truck 2025 demonstrates how connectivity can support transport by means of improved vehicle and transport management as well as smart app solutions.

Two years after the unveiling of the Future Truck 2025, Mercedes-Benz Trucks also demonstrated the technical feasibility and the enormous advantages of connecting trucks electronically, known as 'Truck Platooning', in a road test. And with the eActros unveiled as a concept vehicle in 2016 and scheduled for customer assignments this year, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is taking another large step towards emission-free heavy-duty distribution haulage.