Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2023 - 30

ORIGINAL
EQUIPMENT
Mercedes details all-new platform for EV vans, reveals eActros 600
for long-haul use
Mercedes-Benz states
that starting in 2026,
all the brand's newly
developed vans will
be based on a single
architecture.
customer needs in parallel, " he said.
Geisen hinted at a new V-Class that
would break cover later this year featuring
fresh sheetmetal, an updated interior
and new driver-assistance features.
No specific details were given, but
Geisen did reinforce that the latest
V-Class would be aimed at private buyers
and that it would serve MercedesBenz's
" premium " segment customers.
Mercedes-Benz has revealed its electrification
strategy for the company's commercial
and private van lineup. It also
has disclosed new details about its
eActros 600 long-distance electric truck.
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering was
in attendance for the company's online
presentation in May that outlined the
plans to electrify all future van offerings.
" It is our clear ambition to lead the industry
to an all-electric future, " said
Mathias Geisen, head of Mercedes-Benz
vans. " Our future is electric only, and our
roadmap to the future is clearly defined. "
The presentation also detailed the company's
overall strategy for carbon neutrality.
Mercedes-Benz reportedly aims to
achieve carbon neutrality from its van
fleet by 2039 and intends to do so over
the entire lifecycle of the vehicle. This
strategy is aligned with plans for the main
light-vehicle lineup, which now is considered
part of the same business group.
End of the ICE age
While Mercedes-Benz does not intend
to immediately roll up ICE-powered van
production, the company's transition to
an EV-only lineup does appear imminent.
Mercedes-Benz CFO Mario Pucher
stated that the company will reduce
investment in ICE vans by 70% by middecade
and also will condense the diversity
of the ICE portfolio.
30 August 2023
" Existing ICE models will continue to
serve us well beyond the end of the decade,
[but] we have to keep them attractive, "
Geisen said. " In parallel, we have to
ramp up the production of electric vans. "
Geisen reiterated that Mercedes-Benz
will go through a " substantial complexity
reduction of the existing ICE portfolio "
and will streamline EV van offerings by
utilizing a single platform.
Geisen also explained that while
Mercedes-Benz is trimming its lineup,
the intention still is to offer a diverse
range of products while targeting
growth in several customer segments
such as the " premium " van market.
" The transition towards electric only is
ambitious, as we have to fulfill different
Platform with a purpose
Leading the charge for the company's
electric-van rollout will be the VAN.EA
platform, the company's newly developed
modular and scalable architecture
that reportedly will serve as the basis
for all future Mercedes-Benz van models.
" VAN.EA has been developed from
scratch as a purpose-built battery-electric
architecture fully utilizing the advantages
of the new technology, "
Geisen said, adding that " Electrification
goes hand-in-hand with simplification. "
The VAN.EA platform will underpin all
of Mercedes-Benz's midsize and large
vans, ranging from the electric V-Class
to the commercial-focused Sprinters.
The company is targeting a 20% market
share of the BEV van sector by 2026
and more than 50% share by 2030.
Stefanie Schmitz, strategic project
lead, VAN.EA, further detailed the
planned launch and design of VAN.EA.
" Starting in 2026, all newly developed
vans from Mercedes-Benz will be based
Mercedes-Benz's timeline for electrification of its van lineup.
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
ALL IMAGES: MERCEDES-BENZ
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2023

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