There have been some concept vans in recent memory. More of a show for being people carriers for soccer mums and surfers. Mercedes-Benz is now showcasing a concept van that carries not people but cargo and drones. Yes, drones.
The Mercedes-Benz Vision Van highlights what the future of commercial vehicles would be like.
The Vision Van is an electric car with its 101bhp electric motor which has an estimated range of 170 miles. The electric motor would certainly be of use when driving around low emission zones in urban areas. The electric motor also helps free up additional cargo space that would otherwise be used for a traditional engine. The batteries are located underneath the floor boards which lowers the centre of gravity for the van.
The exterior of the Vision Van looks like a high-tech white box. It doesn’t have mirrors or door handles and even the windscreen looks like it is seamlessly attached to the body. Even the interior is minimalistic. The driver compartment does away with the traditional steering wheel and opting for a joystick. The dashboard and instrument panel is integrated into the body saving even more space. The front grille includes LEDs to warn pedestrians or other cars that the van is about to launch drones.
The interesting bit would be what the drones can do.
The Vision Van has taken delivery to a whole new level with the inclusion of drones in the delivery process. If the Vision Van gets stuck in traffic, the drones can take over delivery. The drones can use the roof as a landing platform to perform the aerial delivery. Now how cool is that?
The rear end of the van has a very big cargo door. It would surely not be surprising if the van is capable of interfacing with autonomous bots to unload cargo. The Vision Van also features autonomous loading which reduces human error.
The Vision Van is at the concept stage for now. There is no word on when we might see the tech in the concept on real world vehicles. We do hope that it would come sooner rather than later.
Photos via Top Gear
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