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HANNOVER, Germany – Daimler Truck CEO Martin Daum stated his firm is pursuing a clear vitality technique based mostly on electrical energy and gas cell know-how, setting apart pure gasoline as a part of the plan .
“We’re specializing in batteries and gas cells as a result of we imagine our business will want a twin technique for the sustainable transportation of the longer term,” Daum stated in remarks centered on the corporate’s international operations. throughout a Sept. 18 IAA press briefing. Transportation Convention 2022.
Daum identified that pure gasoline has no place on this technique.
“We’re additionally satisfied that we don’t want a triple technique that features pure gasoline, as a result of gasoline engines are simply an costly transition know-how that also depends on fossil fuels and emits CO2,” did he declare. “At Daimler Truck, we give attention to really emission-free applied sciences.”
Daimler Vans launches the Mercedes-Benz eActros Lengthy Haul for international markets at #IAA in Hannover, Germany. The truck has a variety of 500 miles. pic.twitter.com/PWKCmqJUc9
—Joe Howard (@JoeHoward_TT) September 18, 2022
This purpose was evident in Daimler’s merchandise revealed on the present, together with the Mercedes-Benz eActros Lengthy Haul idea for international markets. The following-generation electrical truck is due out in 2024 and may have a variety of 500 kilometers, or about 310 miles. Its battery know-how ought to ultimately make its strategy to the Freightliner eCascadia in North America. Daimler additionally unveiled the subsequent technology of the Mitsubishi Fusu eCanter international medium-duty electrical truck. The Fuso model left the North American market.
These product launches at one of many trucking business’s largest worldwide reveals – and one which hasn’t occurred since 2018 – served as a harbinger of Daimler’s longer-term plans to supply a wider vary of zero-emission autos to its international prospects, Daum stated. .
“5 years from now, we may have a complete zero-emissions product portfolio with autos that may serve the complete vary of city and regional makes use of, to essentially the most demanding long-haul use instances,” he stated. declared. “By 2030, we count on our zero-emission autos to signify as much as 60% of our complete automobile gross sales.”
This projection applies to international locations in all 30 EU international locations, the corporate stated in a press launch.
Daum acknowledged, nonetheless, {that a} broader shift within the transportation business will take time.
“I am not saying that transportation transformation will be thought of a finished deal, as a result of automobile transformation and transportation transformation should not the identical,” he stated. “For the sustainable transport of the longer term, it’s not sufficient to have the correct autos. We additionally want the correct infrastructure; and to be exact, we’d like a whole inexperienced vitality infrastructure.
Daimler is working with fellow truck makers Volvo Group and Traton on an initiative to construct electrical charging infrastructure throughout Europe. Daimler has additionally fashioned a three way partnership with Volvo to develop hydrogen gas cell know-how. Daum believes it is this type of business dedication to widespread targets that may assist drive change.
“Within the coming years, the demand for inexperienced vitality will improve many instances over, not solely in our business however in the entire financial system,” he stated. “So utilizing electrical energy instantly from the grid is not going to be sufficient. We additionally have to import and retailer inexperienced vitality, and the most effective space to do this is inexperienced hydrogen.
“We are going to subsequently additionally want infrastructure for hydrogen. The excellent news is that constructing two infrastructures – one for inexperienced electrical energy, one for inexperienced hydrogen – will price lower than constructing one infrastructure. It might appear counter-intuitive at first, but it surely prices much less to scale two mid-tier frameworks than to scale one extreme-tier framework.
Daum acknowledged that constructing this infrastructure is a large job that may take a very long time, so he known as on the entire business to make it a precedence.
“All stakeholders should come collectively to work on this in any respect ranges on the identical time,” he stated. “About energy technology, energy distribution and even the bodily factors the place autos have to be recharged.”
Daum added: “I wish to encourage all stakeholders to view this infrastructure job as an amazing alternative. As we communicate, an enormous new market is rising. And as we all know from expertise, there may be hardly something extra highly effective than market forces as soon as they’re set in movement.
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Market forces driving one other space of development – automated driving – have led Daimler to give attention to working with two corporations: Waymo and Torc Robotics. The latter firm is owned by Daimler.
“For my part, there are solely two corporations,” Daum stated throughout a Sept. 19 briefing with a small North American media group about corporations seeking to get into automated driving. He stated he watches all corporations within the house, however believes Waymo and Torc have the most effective assets and expertise.
Moreover, be believes that each corporations’ use of chassis with redundant programs places them forward of opponents who don’t. At the moment, Daimler builds vehicles with redundant know-how for its automated companions in a separate workshop in Daimler Truck North Americas hometown of Portland, Oregon. If volumes get excessive sufficient, Daum stated, they could possibly be constructed on the common manufacturing line.
This spirit of collaboration additionally extends to the way forward for diesel engines. Daimler has already determined to make use of engines from Cummins completely in its medium-duty vehicles as a result of this firm’s bigger scale on this section.
Commenting on the transfer, Daum stated: “It does not make sense – for a small platform – to place all the cash right into a market that over time will shrink – even when it is not. than half – it is not possible.”
He added: “Cummins’ start line is many instances greater than us.
