Daimler Trucks has launched an E-Mobility Group (EMG) comprising all of its electric activities. The Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) has already delivered the first models of its fully-electric FUSO eCanter to selected customers in the USA, Europe and Japan. Its sister brand, Mercedes-Benz, will put its medium-duty eActros on the road for customers this year as well. Daimler Trucks is also working to ensure that e-mobility is economical for the customer as well as the manufacturer.

Mercedes-Benz eActros electric heavy-duty truck.

The EMG will soon be defining the strategy for everything from electrical components to completely electric vehicles for all brands and all business divisions, while also working to create a single global electric architecture.

EMG is globally structured, with employees working cross functional in various locations throughout the company’s worldwide development network—in Portland (US), Stuttgart (Germany) and Kawasaki (Japan). Effective 1 July 2018, Gesa Reimelt will establish and lead this new entity. The position reports directly to the Executive Vice President for Global Powertrain and Manufacturing Engineering Daimler Trucks, Frank Reintjes.

As the undisputed global market leader, we aim to take the leading role in the field of electric-powered trucks and buses. We started working on electric trucks at an early stage and aspire to set the benchmark in every relevant segment of this industry. By establishing our new global E-Mobility Group we can maximise the effectiveness of our investments in this strategic key technology. This will enable us to provide our customers with the best solutions in battery systems, charging systems or energy management.

—Martin Daum, member of the Daimler Board of Management for Trucks & Buses

Daimler trucks will invest more than €2.5 billion (US$2.9 billion) over the course of 2018 and 2019 in research and development, of which more than €500 million (US$589 million) is dedicated to electrification, connectivity and the automation of its products and services.

On an international scale, Daimler Trucks already has more than one-half million trucks connected to the Internet of Things via its FleetBoard and Detroit Connect connectivity platforms. It was also the first truck manufacturer to demonstrate digitally connected trucks—platooning—on public roads in Europe, the US and Japan. In the fall of 2017, Daimler Trucks presented a further possible application for future implementation of automated commercial vehicles: At an airfield in Bad Sobernheim, Germany, an automated and remote-controlled fleet of four Mercedes-Benz Arocs tractor units cleared the runway.

In 2017, Daimler Trucks brands sold around 470,000 units sold. Daimler Trucks has already sold a total of about 21% more trucks in the first quarter of 2018 than it did in the equivalent period of the previous year. In the NAFTA region, unit sales in Q1 rose by a full 24%.

With its Mercedes-Benz, FUSO, Freightliner, Western Star and BharatBenz truck brands, as well as its Mercedes-Benz Buses, Setra and Thomas Built Buses bus brands, Daimler Trucks & Buses has an internationally strong product portfolio. It is the market leader in Germany, Europe and the NAFTA region. In Brazil, India and Japan the company also holds a leading position.