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Car firms start Europe-wide accident communication project

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In cooperation with Here Technologies, Tom Tom and the transport authorities in six European countries, Daimler, BMW, Ford and Volvo are testing how information about acutely hazardous situations can be passed on using Car-to-X technology.

The project partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The test phase is scheduled to last twelve months, starting in the Netherlands.

How can information about a sudden hazard – e.g. slippery conditions or an accident – be passed on to following or approaching traffic as quickly as possible?

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Daimler Trucks sets up global organisation for highly automated driving

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Daimler Trucks is establishing the Autonomous Technology Group as a global organisation for automated driving, bringing together its worldwide expertise and activities, as of June 1.

The main tasks of the new unit comprise overall strategy and implementation of the automated driving roadmap, including research and development as well as setting up the required operations infrastructure and network, heading towards the series production of highly automated trucks (SAE level 4).

The newly established Autonomous Technology Group is part of Daimler Trucks’ global effort to put highly automated trucks onto the roads within a decade.

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Daimler tests weird new service that delivers your online shopping to the boot of your car

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Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, is testing an oddball new service which enables you to have your online shopping order delivered to your parked car – and even put it in the boot for you. 

Called “Chark”, the innovative service is currently being tested in the greater Stuttgart area of Germany.

Approximately 500 Mercedes-Benz drivers are being invited to take part in the test, and applications can be made at www.chark.app. [Read more…] about Daimler tests weird new service that delivers your online shopping to the boot of your car

Rigterink Logistikgruppe tests the all-electric eActros truck

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Mercedes-Benz Trucks has sent another fully-electric eActros onto the streets: the heavy-duty truck will now be put through its paces by Rigterink Logistikgruppe in regular operations transporting foodstuffs around Frankfurt am Main and other towns in the Rhine-Main area of Germany.

The daily distance from the Rigterink logistics premises in Flörsheim am Main to supermarket branches and various central logistics centres of supermarket chains is around 200 km.

The route will be driven once a day by the 25-tonne truck, making full use of its range of around 200 km with a single charge. The batteries will be charged overnight.

[Read more…] about Rigterink Logistikgruppe tests the all-electric eActros truck

NextGenAM 3D printing pilot successfully completed

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The “NextGenAM” project, what began as a vision in May 2017, has now reached a successful conclusion.

The aim was to develop a digitalised next-generation manufacturing line to produce aluminium components for the automotive and aerospace sectors significantly more cost-effectively than is currently possible.

The successful outcome was that, in terms of the overall production process, manufacturing costs could be reduced by up to 50 percent compared with existing 3D printing systems.

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Daimler acquires stake in Lithium-ion battery materials firm

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Daimler AG has acquired a minority equity stake in U.S. battery material specialist Sila Nanotechnologies Inc. (Sila Nano) as part of its research and development activities.

Founded in 2011, Sila Nano is a leading developer of new battery materials, which outperform existing lithium-ion technologies.

Along with the acquisition of the equity stake Daimler will get a seat in the Board of Directors of Sila Nano.

[Read more…] about Daimler acquires stake in Lithium-ion battery materials firm

Daimler Trucks set to acquire majority stake in Torc Robotics

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Daimler Trucks, a division in the Daimler Group, and Torc Robotics, a pioneer in autonomous driving solutions, are joining forces in a one-of-a-kind combination to commercialise highly automated trucks (SAE Level 4) on U.S. roads.

The companies have signed an agreement whereby Daimler Trucks and Buses Holding Inc. will acquire a majority stake in Torc Robotics for an undisclosed sum. Closing of the acquisition is subject to approval from U.S. authorities.

“Bringing Torc Robotics within the Daimler Trucks family creates a unique and powerful team of innovators to put highly automated trucks on the road,” said Martin Daum, Member of the Board of Management Daimler AG, responsible for Trucks and Buses.

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BMW and Daimler invest more than €1 billion in joint mobility services

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The BMW Group and Daimler AG are pooling their mobility services to create a new global player providing sustainable urban mobility for customers.

The two companies are investing more than €1 billion in total to develop and more closely intermesh their offerings for car-sharing, ride-hailing, parking, charging and multimodal transport.

The two companies’ mobility services have a combined total of over 60 million active customers to date.

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Mercedes-Benz details its ‘human first’ philosophy for future cars

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Experts at Daimler-Mercedes-Benz discuss the new automotive technologies at FutureInsight conference

What does a desirable future that is worth living look like? How can individuality and digital transformation be reconciled? How can trust be established between humans and machines?

A series of “FutureInsight” debates from Mercedes-Benz address questions like these. In these debates, Mercedes-Benz experts discuss such questions around the theme of mobility with academics, artists, media representatives and specialists from a wide range of fields.

The aim is to gain inspiration and food for thought, which then can be helpful for their own future mobility activities.

At the FutureInsight event in Berlin on 21 and 22 November, the focus was on empathy and trust as topics.  [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz details its ‘human first’ philosophy for future cars

Bosch to assume full control of electric motor manufacturer EM-motive

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Bosch is now assuming full control of EM-motive, one of Europe’s most successful manufacturers of electric motors.

Bosch and Daimler set up EM-motive GmbH as a fifty-fifty joint venture in 2011. Since then, it has manufactured some 450,000 electric motors.

From the establishment of the joint venture, Bosch secured an option to acquire the shares. A complete takeover was thus already an option in the joint venture agreement.

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