'Benz reveals futuristic van concept

Deployable drones and EV drivetrain just some of the highlights of Vision Van concept unveiled at Paris Motor Show

Mercedes-Benz has shown off a revolutionary take on the delivery van with the unveiling of its Vision Van concept.

Due to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show later this month, the autonomous, drone-launching prototype looms as a future blueprint for logistics and delivery companies around the world – one without humans in the hypothetical supply chain.

It packages just about every of-the-moment contraption imaginable, with an ability to reduce the time and effort required to deliver parcels from a distribution centre to their intended recipient.

Dubbed adVANce, the headline feature of the concept is a pair of drones located on the roof of the vehicle that automatically load a parcel through a port in the roof, and deliver it to a nearby destination.

But really, it's the delivery solutions inside that prospective buyers, lease companies or renters will be most interested in, Mercedes-Benz believes.

Flanking the length of each wall of the cargo area are rectangular racks which hold 46 slide-in open top baskets. In a neat (and practical) party trick, both rectangular racks can slide along an automatic lifting platform to the rear of the delivery van to ensure easy loading access from the distribution centre.

As the Vision Van approaches a recipient's address, an automated rack feeder removes the desired package from the rack, sliding to a 'pass-through' just behind the driver or, in the case of the autonomous version, attaching to the drone, before completing the delivery and moving onto the next job.

The project director for the Vision Van, Thomas Moser, says the concept short-cuts the needless time-consuming elements of the delivery business.

"We know from our customers that retrieving the packages at the stop may take several minutes today, because consignments have to be sought or resorted. The automated cargo space in the Vision Van solves this problem," he says.

A Mercedes-Benz concept wouldn't be complete without autonomous driving features, and to that end the Vision Van's cabin is bereft of a steering wheel or traditional switchgear, signalling fully autonomous driving capability.

The Vision Van also features an electric drivetrain that outputs interchangeable power and torque outputs. In normal guise the drivetrain outputs 75kW and 270Nm, but in certain scenarios can deliver up to 150kW for 60 seconds.

It's a similar scenario with the vehicle's top speed ceiling, which is usually set at 80km/h to cover off most duties but can be extended to 120km/h as desired. Furthermore, the vehicle's electric range can be configured between 80km and 270km.

'Benz reveals futuristic van concept

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