Mecedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 Impresses With Technology Advancements
The Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 might as well look like something from 50 years in the future. The major advancements in technology of the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck would ultimately change the trucking industry forever. While some see it far fetch from the truth, others are quite interested in the technology that Mercedes-Benz brings to the table with the Future Truck 2025. Are we a decade away from self-driving semi trucks and rigs that get 50 miles to a gallon?
Truck Industry Technology
Think about if you will. Over the least decade, we’ve seen great technology advancements in the automotive industry. We’ve seen technology that is paving the way for incredible achievements in the automotive sector. However, when it comes to the technology that runs 70 percent of all goods across the country, we’ve seen very little advancements in trucking technology.
While GPS systems and smartphones have altered the trucking industry forever, when it comes to advancing technology in heavy duty trucks and medium duty trucks, major advancements are lacking for a better term. When it comes to innovations in big rigs, we haven’t seen much. Technologies like collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane departure systems and radar could significantly improve safety and reduce driver error in an industry that is facing many challenges such as higher operating cost, hours of service, tougher regulations and the growing truck driver shortage.
We first heard about the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 in early summer, but now the German automaker has the world’s attention with a look and features few could describe. What we saw was innovation at its best as the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck revealed hundreds of blue LED lights and images of truck drivers barried into their tablets while the truck navigated on its own.
Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 Technology
It still has a steering wheel, suggesting that even in 2025 Mercedes-Benz sees the need for human intervention in autonomous driving, but the truck’s features suggest drivers will cede a lot of handling to radar systems, cameras, and vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications – all behind an advanced high-resolution graphics display and touchscreen.
The main focus of the Future Truck is to reduce driver error and increase fuel economy as the truck will have the technology to anticipate road construction conditions and traffic. This will allow the truck to be more efficient when accelerating, shifting gears and braking. The truck can automatically maintain a consistent and safe distance from the vehicle ahead according to Mercedes-Benz. This type of technology though, we’ll have to see about that one. Some feel it’s possible, others agree that it is more then a decade out, possibly two decades.
The exterior’s space-age design lights up different LED colors depending on the vehicle’s actions. In autonomous driving mode, the LEDs switch from white to a pulsating blue. When a turn signal is activated, some of the LEDs switch to a flashing orange. The lighting technology would be brighter and safer for the driver, but some question that this many lights could distract other drivers.
The cab may be the most impressive with interior looks that look more like an executive office, which could mean better sleep for truck drivers. We all know the emphasis on driver fatigue, again, the approach from Mercedes-Benz is based on safety. The cab has touch-screens and mobile devices, also with a reclining and rotating office chair for a driver’s seat. (As seen in the picture above)
Mercedes-Benz insist that this type of technology could be available in a decade. We have our doubts though, about how long it could take for regulatory measures to be put in place. Also, some of the technology advertised here would require significant investment in infrastructure to allow the truck to detect traffic conditions and construction well ahead of time. In short, a lot of quick changes would have to be made. However, we’ve seen short burst of technology take off in a number of different sectors over the years, so nothing is out of the question.