By Alex C
Gradually, this way of thinking will soon stun the automotive world by year 2025 when Mercedes will open a new chapter in commercial vehicle craftsmanship. What this simply means is that the technology of tomorrow is tagged ‘The Future Truck 2025’ is more than simply a new truck and ready to set new standards as a key component of the transport system of the future.
Engineers are optimistic that when it arrives the world scene in its true form, it will delivered as an asset to fleet operators that will reduce emissions of all types, ensures maximum road traffic safety and increase the level of networking in road transport.
The Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 is far more than a remote vision as many of its technological elements are already available and ready to use. By the application of the new face of trucking in 2025, goods in transit in the future will be safer, more efficient and connected as a result. It will mark a revolution for road traffic and its infrastructure, the truck driving profession and the haulage industry as a whole.
“This truck provides compelling answers to the challenges that our customers will be facing in the future. Our aim therefore is to press forward with making this technology available for the market and to bring it to series production standard,” Wolfgang Bernard, board member for Trucks and Buses at Daimler group said.
A major striking feature is that radar sensors and camera technology enable the vehicle to drive autonomously, independently of other vehicles or central control stations. Networking with other trucks or passenger cars extends its abilities further, but not necessary for autonomous driving. All this technology is brought together by Mercedes-Benz in the highly intelligent Highway Pilot system, which resembles the autopilot system of an aircraft.
All sensors on board the Future Truck 2025 are networked and, through a process of data fusion in the central computer, provide a complete image of the surroundings. All moving and stationary objects in the truck’s vicinity are registered. The sensor and camera technology is active from standstill to the legally permitted maximum speed for trucks.
By intervening in the steering, it automatically keeps the truck safely in the centre of its lane. The system also includes a three-dimensional digital map, as is already currently used for the assistance system Predictive Power-train Control (PPC). This means that the truck is always fully aware of the road’s course and topography, with a resulting positive effect on fuel consumption.
A new feature is the blind spot assist, which is itself a technological breakthrough when it comes to safety, which Daimler will bring into series in the coming years. Radar sensors monitor the sides of the truck and alert the driver to the presence of other road users to either side of the vehicle who may not be immediately visible.