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Mercedes-Benz and Vivint want to power your solar home
Tesla has been dominating home energy headlines in recent months, what with the release of its solar roof panels and residential batteries, but Elon Musk's company isn't the only one getting into the home energy game. Mercedez-Benz announced on Thursday that it is teaming with solar-energy company Vivint to develop an all-in-one solar/battery setup of its own.
Mercedes steps up its electric car production plans
When Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler unveiled plans to have at least six electric cars on the market within a decade, it was clearly being conservative. The automaker has announced that it's accelerating those plans, with over 10 EVs on the road by 2022 -- 3 years ahead of the target it set half a year ago. Daimler will pour €10 billion (about $10.8 billion) into the initiative to make it a reality. The company wants to shape the car industry "from the forefront," according to the firm's Manfred Bischoff, and that means an aggressive strategy.
NVIDIA is helping Mercedes build artificially intelligent cars too
Audi's plans to build AI-powered autonomous vehicles may have taken center stage during NVIDIA's CES press conference, but it's not the only automaker working with the company. NVIDIA announced it's building smart vehicles with Mercedes-Benz too. "Mercedes-Benz and NVIDIA share a common vision of the AI car," NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said in a statement. "At this point, it is clear AI will revolutionize the future of automobiles."
Car makers plan grid of super-fast EV chargers in Europe
It's all well and good to create electric car charging networks to help you on long drives, but merely having stations isn't enough. What use are abundant chargers if you spend ages waiting for your battery to replenish? Thankfully, at least some big automakers are aware of this. BMW, Daimler, Ford and the Volkswagen Auto Group are forming a joint venture that will install a grid of super-fast EV chargers along major European highways. And we do mean fast -- they could supply up to 350kW of power, or nearly triple the 120kW that Tesla Superchargers offer. So long as your car supported that kind of input, you could be back on the road in several minutes.
Six futuristic designs that will change public transportation
By Cat DiStasio As the world's urban centers grow, getting around them becomes increasingly difficult. In some cities, traffic is congested all day long and rush hour can last for several hours. Fortunately, there are a number of innovations in public transportation specifically aimed at alleviating those woes. While traditional buses simply add to street traffic and subways aren't feasible in all areas, engineers are looking to public transit options that can go over or around regular car traffic, making for some easier ways to get from Point A to Point B without spending hours sniffing exhaust. Elsewhere in the world, underwater floating tunnels will reduce the need for ferry rides, and a unique modular transport system could completely revolutionize long-distance travel for both people and cargo. Read on for all the details about the next generation of transportation, including some developments that will be up and running in less than five years.
German cars will share real-time data to help you find parking
However smart your car might be, there's only so much it can tell you by itself. Wouldn't it be nice if cars regularly shared helpful driving info beyond what you offer in mobile apps? Here thinks so. It's launching services that will have cars automatically sharing real-time data to improve commutes for everyone. Vehicles (starting with those from Here owners Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz) will use their sensors and cameras to offer details on free parking spaces, traffic conditions, and road hazards. You'd know that a parking spot has opened up, or that heavy rain is forcing drivers ahead to slow down.
Smart's diminutive vehicles will all have EV options in 2017
Smart's teeny-tiny and highly parkable vehicles aren't exactly known for their highway speeds, but they do make sensible grocery-getters for city folk with limited space. So it makes sense that the next model year from Mercedes-Benz's pint-sized line will offer an electric version as an option on every single vehicle.
ICYMI: Delivery drone inception and China's 'Spruce Goose'
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Starship Technologies teams up with Mercedes-Benz to use the latter's Sprinter vans as "motherships" for the former's package delivery drones. China announced that it will buy the only existing Antonov An-225 airplane -- the largest and heaviest aircraft to ever fly -- and will finish construction on a second before using both to deliver construction equipment and aid in humanitarian relief efforts.
Mercedes backs a startup to shape the future of delivery drones
Mercedes-Benz probably isn't the first name you associate with delivery drones, but it's committing to those robotic couriers in a big way. The automaker has invested in drone logistics developer Matternet, and the two have worked together on a Vision Van concept (above) that would make delivery drones more practical. The electric vehicle amounts to a last-mile launching pad: drones can grab packages from its "fully automated" cargo space and fly a relatively short distance to complete deliveries that would be impractical (or just slow) for a human courier. And when it would connect everyone from the distribution center to recipients, it would manage deliveries that aren't usually feasible today -- same-day delivery at a specific time, for instance, rather than making a best effort.
Microsoft and Mercedes bring your office calendar to your car
You can't always escape work when you're in your car, but Microsoft and Mercedes-Benz think they can at least make those corporate invasions more tolerable. They're working together on an In Car Office project that, to start with, will integrate your Microsoft Exchange info with your car's infotainment system. It'll auto-populate your car's navigation unit with driving directions for that upcoming meeting, for example, or offer to make a hands-free call to get in touch with your client when you're on your way.
Daimler will fight Tesla with 'at least' six electric cars
It looks like Daimler's plans to fight Tesla are even more ambitious than first thought. Reuters sources understand that the German automaker is working on "at least" six electric cars, and might introduce as many as nine. The exact roster isn't public, but Daimler's central Mercedes-Benz brand had previously talked about making two sedans and two SUVs. Automobilwoche tipsters claim that the focus will be on crossovers and SUVs, although there would also be compact cars and sedans.
Mercedes-Maybach concept is a look at the future of luxury cars
Stop us if you've read this before: Mercedes-Benz has another ridiculous concept car. At CES 2015, we got a close look at the F015 Luxury in Motion self-driving concept and now the automaker is back with an all-electric coupe. Officially dubbed the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6, the new vehicle is a mix of "sensual purity" and "aerodynamic efficiency" according to Daimler AG design lead Gorden Wagener. Mercedes also notes that the Vision 6 is an equal mix of "hot" with emotional design and "cold" with so-called intelligent details.
Nissan's gold Olympics-edition EV, and more in the week that was
Tesla's Gigafactory is set to double the world's battery production, and this week it opened its doors for the first time. Tesla is also working on an electric truck, but Mercedes-Benz beat them to punch this week by launching the world's first all-electric big rig. In other transportation news, a sun-powered airplane completed an epic trip around the world -- and we highlighted eight milestones from its record-shattering flight. Nissan announced that it will give golden Leaf EVs to medal-winning Olympic athletes. And Norway unveiled plans to build the world's first floating underwater traffic tunnels, which will be suspended from pontoons.
Mercedes unveils world's first completely electric semi truck
European car companies are starting to invest more heavily in green vehicles. Audi unveiled three more electric cars on Monday and Porsche added 400 jobs to how many it estimates it will create to make its electric Model E come to life. Today, Daimler revealed its milestone that wasn't in the consumer space: The first non-fossil-fuel big rig, the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck.
Tesla's plan for world domination, and more in the week that was
Tesla is known for producing some of the world's best electric cars, but founder Elon Musk has even bigger plans for the company: world domination. Musk's new masterplan will grow the company to produce trucks and buses while using battery technology and solar infrastructure to transition the world away from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, the world's first "Tesla Town" is coming to Australia, and every home in it will feature solar panels and a powerwall. Driverless cars are almost here: This week Mercedes-Benz unveiled the fully autonomous bus of the future, while a GM exec confirmed plans to launch a self-driving Chevy Bolt EV with Lyft. And we spotted a crazy truck that's able to lay its own road across treacherous terrain in just six minutes.
Mercedes' autonomous bus makes a landmark trip on public roads
Mercedes-Benz's CityPilot autonomous bus technology just got a real-world, long-range test drive on the streets and highways of the Netherlands. One of the company's Future Bus vehicles successfully followed a 20km Bus Rapid Transit route between Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and the nearby town of Haarlem, navigating through tight turns, intersections and pedestrian areas all without the need for human input.
Mercedes-Benz made a high-tech golf cart inspired by sports cars
File this one under the list of things to buy when you become stinkin' rich. Mercedes-Benz has introduced a high-tech golf cart with the looks of a sports car, three years after it asked fans to submit ideas for a "golf cart of the future." Now, don't get too excited: it doesn't have autonomous driving capabilities just yet. But the final product, designed by the automaker and its project partner (golf cart designer Garia), has a 10.1-inch tablet that displays its current speed and power consumption, as well as the vehicle's controls.
Mercedes to show its Tesla-fighting electric sedan in September
It's no secret that Mercedes-Benz eventually wants to compete with Tesla, not just partner with it, and you won't have to wait much longer to see how that rivalry shakes out. The company's David McCarthy tells Motoring.com.au that you should see a concept version of Merc's Tesla-beating electric sedan in September, or shortly before the Paris Motor Show. Its exact specs are a mystery (even McCarthy hasn't seen it; you're looking at the IAA Concept), but it should sit in the Model S' price bracket and offer similar driving range when it launches, most likely in 2018. There were previously teases that it would be "dangerously fast," in case there was any doubt that it would be a performance-minded ride.
Mercedes replaces robots with people on its assembly line
We've all heard stories about how the robots are taking our jobs. While that may be true, Mercedes-Benz is replacing some of its high-tech workers with real live humans. As it turns out, robots can't keep up with the degree of customization that the automaker offers on its S-Class sedans. To be fair, there are four different types of caps for the tires alone, not to mention options for carbon fiber trim and temperature-controlled cup holders.
Daimler chief sees electric cars beating hydrogen, for now
Daimler may be hedging its bets with work on both electric and hydrogen fuel cell cars, but it sees a front runner emerging. In a chat with Euro am Sonntag, company chief Dieter Zetsche says he believes EVs are "more likely" to come out on top. Simply put, he believes the electric camp has more answers. EVs with long range and fast charging are "within reach," while it's still not clear how you'll make hydrogen both cheap and widely available. That doesn't mean that fuel cells are out -- however, their future isn't looking good.
