What the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck and Future Bus with CityPilot concepts lack in sex appeal, they more than make up for in tech appeal. Debuting alongside the Mercedes-Benz Vision Van concept at this year’s IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover, Germany, the two concepts reveal how Mercedes-Benz plans to incorporate alternative propulsion and semi-autonomous technologies into its future commercial vehicles.
The Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck concept is a more fashionable and better-realized take on the camouflaged Urban eTruck prototype the brand showed off earlier this summer. The Urban eTruck concept maintains the prototype’s massive 212-kWh battery pack, which can power the big rig’s electric motors for up to 124 miles before needing a charge. Such a limited range makes cross-country driving all but impossible; however, Mercedes-Benz believes the truck’s range is plenty for urban settings. It’s clear the company envisions the Urban eTruck being purchased en masse as part of a fleet, as the concept includes a FleetBoard telematics system that keeps track of each truck’s charge and the day’s routes to ensure no truck is sent out on a delivery without sufficient charge in its battery pack to get back.
Along with a bevy of screens that show pertinent information such as battery capacity and range, the Urban eTruck also comes equipped with three driving modes: Eco, Agile, and Auto. Eco favors maximum range, Agile provides the ...