Mercedes-Benz Vans has revealed a new mobility
concept that blurs the line between passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The Vision Urbanetic is an
autonomous, all-electric driving platform that can accommodate either a cargo
module for the transportation of goods or a people-mover module.
As the press release puts it, the Vision Urbanetic
“eliminates the separation between people moving and goods transport.”
Mercedes-Benz Vans claims the mobility concept can fulfill the needs of cities,
businesses, city dwellers and travelers alike.
As a result, it can transport more people and goods
with fewer vehicles, thus contributing to reducing traffic flows, relieving
inner-city infrastructures, and improving the quality of urban life. Based on a self-driving,
electrically-powered chassis compatible with different switchable bodies,
Vision Urbanetic has a dual personality. It’s both a ride-sharing vehicle that
can accommodate up to 12 passengers or a commercial vehicle able to carry up to
10 EPAL pallets.
That’s remarkable given that total vehicle length is
5.14 meters, and the cargo module has a 3.7-meter long load space. It also has 10 cubic meters of cargo volume and a
variable load floor. The absence of a driver’s cab also contributes to
maximizing passenger/cargo volume.
The autonomous driving platform can switch the
modules either automatically or manually, with the automated process said to
take just a few minutes. And since the chassis incorporates all the driving
functions, it can drive to the next job location without a body attached.
Finally, Vision Urbanetic incorporates an IT
infrastructure that analyzes the supply and demand from a defined area in real
time. Thanks to full networking and intelligent control, the system can also
learn from current needs. It is, therefore, “able to anticipate and react to
future needs.”
For example, it can identify a crowd of people
gathering in a certain area and send vehicles there to satisfy the increased
demand.
