Mercedes-Benz has allows tried to push the envelope in terms of stretching technology into their vehicles. Their newest concept vehicle does exactly that as they have released a Vision Van concept that is all-electric. It even comes with it's own drones. While commercial vans may seem like an unglamorous part of the auto industry, Mercedes-Benz is trying to show that the future can be bright in that automotive department.
Image credit: Joe Lorio
The van has a 75-kWh electric drive unit that has a range of 50 to 168 miles. An interesting part of the vehicle is there is no driver door so the operator must exit at the back. To be safe and efficient the storage area in the back of the van has shelving units that slide out to make it easy for loading. The driver can even send the package up to the doorstep of the drop-off location using a drone that is integrated on top of the roof of the van. This means the driver doesn't even need to go to the door to deliver the package but just send it out from the curb from the drone.
The Vision concept has a futuristic look with it's sleek design cues. The lower body has blue accent lighting, cool LED headlights and the grille even lights up to show the world-map motif along with other options as well. A very stylish and unique look.
Image credit: Car and Driver
The german automotive company is said to be in the process of working on a technology that will allow vehicles on the road to continuously dispatch their location and the condition of the packages on board. They also plan to relay a change of instructions from a centralized home base to the vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz is also contemplating changing their business model to allowing the vehicles to be used for short term as rentals or vehicle sharing.