- The Sprinter stands for the transformation from a pure vehicle manufacturer to a developer and provider of comprehensive mobility solutions
- Future-oriented adVANce areas of innovation place the focus of the initiative on customer and industry benefits
- Joint projects with customers and cooperation with start-ups expand the horizons and increase development speed
The
strategic realignment adVANce presented in autumn 2016 means nothing
less than the far-reaching transformation of Mercedes-Benz Vans from a
pure vehicle manufacturer into a provider of comprehensive mobility
solutions. The new Sprinter is highly symbolic of this future
initiative by Mercedes-Benz Vans, and reflects the change of strategy.
The key elements to cater for customers' wide range of needs in the
commercial transport sector are tailor-made solutions that help to
increase efficiency and productivity throughout the value chain. The
new Sprinter is the first Mercedes-Benz vehicle to embody this new
aspiration and make adVANce solutions tangible in practice.
As a bestselling large van, the Sprinter was and is still the dominant force in this segment
"The
new Sprinter is a trailblazer for this development, and for the first
impressively shows how the different aspects of adVANce work together.
We have improved it even further in its classic strengths, and added
intelligent products and services to them. It is the first van of a new
type, positioning itself as a fully networked end-to-end solution and
becoming an integral part of the entire added value chain. We are
offering our customers genuine added value that has never before been
available. With adVANce we are once more redefining the future of the
industry, and the Sprinter as a shining symbol of our strategic future
initiative is once again ushering in a new van era", says Volker
Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.
For the benefit of customers: Systematic integration of intelligent technologies
The
future initiative adVANce concentrates on areas of innovation that
will decide future success in the transport and logistical sector: in
the case of "connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT) applications",
the object is optimum integration of a wide range of digital
technologies into the vehicles of Mercedes-Benz Vans (DIGITAL@VANS). The aim of "innovative hardware solution" (SOLUTIONS@VANS)
is continuous improvement of load capacity and logistics, and
adaptation to changing expectations in the transport sector.
Mercedes-Benz Van Rental is the first time a brand has concentrated
solely on renting out vans (RENTAL@VANS). One initial example of the development of innovative sharing services is the joint venture with the US start-up Via (SHARING@VANS). The innovation field eDRIVE@VANS concerns itself with the electrification of the powertrain.
Anticipating industry and transport needs
Where the electrification of fleets is concerned (eDRIVE@VANS),
Mercedes-Benz Vans is following a course of strategic partnerships and
optimised e-drive solutions for specific use cases. The systematic
electrification of fleets is part of the comprehensive strategy. The
eVito, which became available for ordering in November 2017, will kick
off the process this year, followed by the eSprinter in 2019.
The
cooperation with Hermes is an example of a strategic partnership. The
pilot project with this logistics company envisages the addition of
1500 electric vans to the fleet in Germany by 2020. Technical
development is accompanied by a comprehensive approach to the
day-to-day applications: For example, the new concepts for the use of
battery-electric vans also include creation of the necessary charging
infrastructure and the integration of electromobility into existing
company procedures.
DIGITAL@VANS consolidates
all activities relating to the Internet of Things that intelligently
network apps and services. The basis for this is concentration on the
respective sector and transport requirements, and the resulting
customer benefits.
In the service technician and tradespeople sectors,
for example, the integration of part of the goods transport sector into
the transport and logistical processes is on the agenda. Future
topics such as an automated reordering process or overnight deliveries
directly to the van will ensure tangible improvements in working
efficiency and in fleet utilisation.
Optimisation of the load compartment is the superordinate aim of SOLUTIONS@VANS.
During the further development of shelving systems and vehicle bodies,
the focus is however not only on load capacity and payload. Here too,
adVANce means thinking beyond the status quo and the next evolutionary
phases.
An important development focus in the future will be
intelligent integration of the load compartment into the already
substantially automated logistical chains of customers. For couriers,
for example, this work will pay off in the form of a much faster
loading and unloading process, while service technicians will be able
to carry more tools or replacement parts and complete their mobile
assigments more rapidly and frequently.
The
Mercedes-Benz Van Rental brand presented in September 2017 as a part of
Mercedes-Benz Mobility GmbH specialising in van rental will expand
the possibilities for fleet operators in the innovation field RENTAL@VANS.
This will allow very busy periods to be managed by temporarily
enlarging the vehicle fleet. Maximum time flexibility is guaranteed by
variable rental periods ranging from 24 hours to several months.
Different rental charges allow an uncomplicated change of vehicles or
flexible adjustment of the return time. Moreover, the available range
also includes sector-specific vehicles such as refrigerated vans.
And
not least, in the passenger transport sector, the strategic
cooperation with the New York based start-up "Via" is pointing the way
to the future with an on-demand mobility system. As a part of SHARING@VANS,
Mercedes-Benz Vans and Via plan to introduce the innovative Via
technology – the operating system for the on-demand ridesharing service
– in Europe, and have formed the joint venture "ViaVan" to this end.
For the first time this will make it possible to dynamically and
optimally route vans between thousands of virtual stops in urban areas,
and to significantly reduce traffic density – without any investment
in the infrastructure.
External expertise expands the horizon to new areas of aspiration
Customers
and their needs are the focus of all development activities – both for
highly advanced products and innovative services. Under adVANce, this
maxim, which has always been a core value of Mercedes-Benz Vans, is
supplemented by another important aspect.
For the first time, customers
and users will also be involved in the development process by Customer
Co-Creation. Their specific industry or logistical expertise plays an
important role in the development process, and opens up new
perspectives on future areas of aspiration.
Mercedes-Benz Vans
is also putting on a new turn of speed: innovations are to be brought
to market maturity more rapidly by cooperation with start-ups, for
example. The primary aim is this: they must make a demonstrable and
significant contribution to the inceased efficiency of the vehicle,
fleet or driver, and therefore for our customers.
Volker
Mornhinweg explains: "Innovative and competitive pressure, as well as
the increasing speed of development, will shape the future – both for
us and for our customers. We not only want to accompany this process
successfully, but also actively help to shape it. Together with our
customers, we therefore want to create mobility packages relating to
the new Sprinter which meet the challenges of tomorrow and the day
after both in goods and passenger transport."
Source: Daimler
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