With the eVito, Mercedes-Benz Vans is demonstrating that electrified models are competitive and, depending on the field of operations, can actually be operated at the same price as vehicles with a traditional combustion engine. And now the mid-sized electric van is also following suit in terms of connectivity. With newly developed, digital Mercedes PRO connect services, eVito models manufactured as of March 2019 will please customers even more thanks to their additional digitisation. After the market launch of Mercedes PRO connect in the new Sprinter in June 2018, the digital ecosystem at Mercedes-Benz Vans will this year be focussing on the mid-size segment.
For the first time with intelligent Remote eCharging
“With electric vehicles, fleet managers have to deal with completely new topics. With our “Digital eVan Management” Connectivity Package, we provide our customers with important information on the charge level of their electric fleet. They can thus call up, for example, the state of charge at any time via a web-based Vehicle Management Tool or even check when charging will be complete in the Mercedes PRO connect App[2]. With these tailored services which will be available in their full scope for the eVito as of the second quarter of the year, we can now provide our customers with a digital service which is not yet offered by any other competitor,” explains Bjoern Sack, Head of Connectivity and Digital Services at Mercedes-Benz Vans.
The “Digital eVan Management” Connectivity Package features two alternative services which can be used. Thanks to the “Remote eCharging” service, customers have the possibility to set the temperature in the vehicle interior before they even start their journey. This means that the amount of battery charge which would otherwise be required for that is reduced and accordingly a greater vehicle range can be achieved. Using the Mercedes PRO connect App, drivers can remotely programme when they would like to begin their journey and thus that the vehicle temperature should be adjusted ahead of this. Besides the driver, the fleet manager also receives all relevant information on the battery charge level and climate control system in the Vehicle Management Tool.
A second specific service offered by Mercedes PRO connect for the eVito will be the “Intelligent eCharging” service, expected to be available from the second quarter of 2019. This service will give fleet managers the possibility to charge their electric vehicle fleet in a staggered manner and can thus minimise the power output required for the electrical connection. What’s more, settings for the departure time and pre-entry climate control can be made by the fleet manager using the Vehicle Management Tool and called up by the driver using the Mercedes PRO connect App. The intelligent infrastructure records these data and initiates staggered charging and pre-climatisation of all the electric vehicles.[3]
In comparison with stand-alone solutions, such complex mobility solutions also place greater demands on the IT infrastructure of the vehicles themselves. To ensure a holistic approach and great operational safety, Mercedes-Benz Vans has equipped the eVito with deeply networked systems, precisely as it did for the new Sprinter before it. The technological basis is formed by the communication module installed as standard which makes up the interface between the fleet manager and the drivers. With the data gathered, new services offering real added value can now be implemented..
As part of this engagement, Infosys will leverage its industry-leading turbo machinery and propulsion practice to offer Rolls-Royce best-in-class, end-to-end complex engineering and digital solutions to meet its customers’ increasing needs for sustainable energy. Infosys has extensive experience delivering complex programs in aero and land based gas turbines spanning component development, next-generation manufacturing technologies, service engineering, support, testing and validation services.
Jasmeet Singh, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said, “We are pleased to be selected as a long-term strategic partner by Rolls-Royce. Through our engineering and digital services, we will support Rolls-Royce to become more productive, agile and innovative. We continue to invest in this exciting industry and in this partnership to support Rolls-Royce navigate the next in its transformation journey.”
Kishore Jayaraman, President for India & South Asia at Rolls-Royce, said, “As a leading industrial technology company, our ongoing commitment to innovation is essential to meeting customer and society’s needs for sustainable power. Our association with Infosys is a step in this direction as it enables us to increase our technical differentiation in the engineering and digital domain while accelerating cost optimization and competitiveness. Given the successful track record of Infosys in turbo machinery and propulsion engineering services, they are the right partner to support our goals set out in the coming years.”
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SOURCE: Daimler
