«Take Note Of The Topic Of Street Scooters Very Calmly»
«Take Note Of The Topic Of Street Scooters Very Calmly»

Video: «Take Note Of The Topic Of Street Scooters Very Calmly»

Video: «Take Note Of The Topic Of Street Scooters Very Calmly»
Video: Freddie Dredd - GTG (Official Music Video) 2024, March
Anonim

Mercedes will launch the Vito as an electric version in the middle of the year. In an interview with Autogazette, the head of the van division, Volker Mornhinweg, talks about electromobility, the competition from street scooters and the logistics of the future.

The Mercedes van division has just achieved a record year for the fourth time in a row. In the middle of the year, the Swabians will now also be launching an electric version with the eVito. The competition from Streetscooter already has corresponding offers of electric vans on offer. Has Mercedes-Vans overslept when it comes to electromobility? Van boss Mornhinweg cannot see that. “That's not true,” said Mornhinweg in an interview with Autogazette.

spoods.de

Rather, he refers to the extensive experience that the van division has in the field of electromobility. «Our first electric series van, the Vito E-CELL, was already on the market in 2010. Only customer demand was not as sustainable at the time as we would have liked,”says Mornhinweg.

We knew we had strong products

Autogazette: Mr. Mornhinweg: In 2017 you were able to set a sales record for the fourth time in a row. With 401,000 units there was an increase of around 12 percent. So did the year go exactly as you planned?

Volker Mornhinweg: Yes.

Autogazette: Did you really start the year with a double-digit growth target ?

Mornhinweg: Absolutely. If we had "only" achieved 390,000 units, the success for the team would not have been as good as it is now with over 401,000 units. We knew in advance that we had strong products like the V-Class and the Vito. For example, we had the first full sales year of the V-Class in China. And we also had another excellent year with the Sprinter in the last full year of its life cycle.

Autogazette: In the year before the model change, the Sprinter had reached a new all-time high with over 200,000 units. How much money did you have to spend to get this sales?

Mornhinweg: (laughs) None.

Autogazette: How is the success of the sprinter explained? Actually, sales go down with a discontinuation.

Mornhinweg: The vehicle still has an extremely strong product substance. The current generation, which we introduced in 2013, has absolutely proven itself on the market. In 2017, we sold more than 200,000 Sprinter units for the first time. We benefited from the demand in South America, more precisely in Argentina, among other things.

I am convinced that the Sprinter will remain the most important model

Dieter Zetsche. Photo: dpa
Dieter Zetsche. Photo: dpa

Autogazette: The growth drivers for the models include in particular the Vito with an increase of 21 percent and the V-Class with an increase of 22 percent. Is the midsize segment on the way to becoming the most important growth driver for Mercedes-Benz Vans?

Mornhinweg: With our new vehicles in the mid-size segment, we now have vehicles in our portfolio that, like the Sprinter, are successful around the world. At the same time, we will be reaching completely new segments with our new Sprinter: With the additional variant with front-wheel drive, we are opening up new sales potential in the mobile home sector, among other things. We have also invested in the interior and the chassis to make the Sprinter even more attractive as a shuttle vehicle. I am convinced that the Sprinter will remain our most important model, even if the mid-size segment catches up.

Autogazette: You benefit from the high demand in China, for example.

Mornhinweg: Also, but not only. The value of the V-Class has impressed customers around the world, and in China we even achieved growth of over 70 percent. The V-Class was fully available here for the first time in 2017, so we can still expect a lot from the V-Class for the next few years.

Autogazette: The Sprinter, in particular, should embody the basic idea of your future initiative adVANce. What promise do you give your customers for the future?

Mornhinweg: We no longer see ourselves only as a manufacturer of a van, but as a provider of holistic transport and mobility solutions - and that tailored to the various industries. We want to offer our customers the best solution for their value chain - and of course at the best possible price.

Autogazette: What distinguishes the new Sprinter?

Mornhinweg: With the Sprinter, we offer customers the very latest in connectivity hardware and digital services that, among other things, enable easier fleet management. The fleet manager has an overview of the vehicle status or the digital logbook at all times - the dispatcher at the head office is always able to direct the driver to another customer depending on the order situation. The entire load space management is networked, the new Sprinter becomes part of the Internet of Things. Other components include rental and sharing models as well as electric mobility. We will also be offering the Sprinter with an E variant from next year.

So we did everything right

The electric Vito from Mercedes
The electric Vito from Mercedes

Autogazette: In the second half of the year you will bring the Vito as the first electric variant, and the eSprinter will follow next year. Why did you overslept the trend towards electromobility so much?

Mornhinweg: That's not true. We have extensive experience in the field of electromobility. Our first electric series van, the Vito E-CELL, was already on the market in 2010. Only the demand from customers was not as sustainable as we would have liked. We have always said: if the demand for e-vans picks up, we will go straight to the start with a new model. That is the case today. Apart from that, we have just posted record numbers for the fourth time in a row. So we did everything right.

Autogazette: Just not with electromobility!

Mornhinweg: As a commercial enterprise, you have to ask yourself when the time is ripe for this technology. For us this is now the case and that is why we are now bringing the eVito and then the eSprinter very quickly. I don't know of any competitor who is further than us.

Autogazette: And what about street scooters ? Don't they set the pace for e-mobility in commercial vehicles?

Mornhinweg: We are very relaxed about the topic of street scooters.

Autogazette: Aren't you jealous of street scooters ? After all, your competitor is about to dominate the market in this area.

Mornhinweg: We see it differently.

Autogazette: Has Streetscooter not achieved any competitive advantages through the early start?

Mornhinweg: We offered Deutsche Post electric vehicles. If a customer decides to take a different route and goes under the vehicle manufacturers himself, then we accept that. Nonetheless, we still have very good business relationships with DHL.

Our success is no coincidence

Streetscooter vehicles. Photo: DHL
Streetscooter vehicles. Photo: DHL

Autogazette: Why does a start-up like Streetscoooter manage to set the pace for electromobility in the commercial vehicle sector for an established car manufacturer like Mercedes?

Mornhinweg: I don't know how you found out that Streetscooter sets the pace. Our vehicles stand for high quality and high comfort. Our customers demand a top-quality product from us - and that for a wide variety of purposes in a wide variety of industries. A Vito or a Sprinter is a workplace for customers - and they place high demands on them, including in terms of ergonomics. Our success is no accident. And the success that we have with combustion engines will also be enjoyed with our E variants. Many of our customers also buy our products for reputational reasons. It is important to you to pull up with the star.

Autogazette: Isn't there anything you can learn from Streetscooter?

Mornhinweg: With our adVANce initiative, we launched the right strategy at the right time. A few years ago we started to offer specific holistic concepts for the various industries that go beyond the vehicle. We advise customers, analyze their value chains and offer opportunities for optimization. We rely on customer co-creation, which means that we get our customers on board early and coordinate development closely with them. This also applies to e-mobility.

Maybe we were too early with that

Volker Mornhinweg. Photo: Daimler
Volker Mornhinweg. Photo: Daimler

Autogazette: If the time for you to get started with electric mobility wasn't there two or three years ago, why is it now?

Mornhinweg: In 2010 we were the first to offer electric vans in series. Maybe we were too early with that. Because the infrastructure was hardly in place, and the customers' fears about range were more pronounced than they are today. Accordingly, there was only limited demand. Today it is different, also because the topic of sustainability has gained in importance.

Autogazette: Do you think about the low demand for electric cars? Despite the purchase bonus, there was no run. Will it be different with commercial vehicles?

Mornhinweg: The discussions we are having with our customers make us very confident. I don't see a run, but there is good demand, especially from logisticians. Customers ask themselves how do I get the electricity and the charging network? We not only provide you with the answers to all these questions, but also a solution in the form of an ecosystem. We are convinced that the electric motor is the optimal approach for the last mile in the city.

Rely on total system solutions

Delivery by drone. Photo: Daimler
Delivery by drone. Photo: Daimler

Autogazette: Do you see it as your big advantage that, unlike the competition, you can offer the customer a complete system of vehicles, infrastructure and networking?

Mornhinweg: Absolutely, we rely on tailor-made overall system solutions that are based on expert advice. We don't just look at the vehicle, we offer the complete ecosystem. In addition to charging infrastructure and training for the drivers of the electric fleet, this also means that customers can rent vehicles from us, for example to catch peaks at Christmas time.

Autogazette: You promise your customers a range of 150 kilometers, which should realistically be 100 kilometers. Is this realistic?

Mornhinweg: The eVito has just passed the endurance test of winter testing in Sweden. Our conclusion: Even under unfavorable conditions, customers have a range of 100 km.

Autogazette: What range does the customer who is on the move in the city need?

Mornhinweg: Between 70 and 80 kilometers, rather less.

Autogazette: You also want to offer a more powerful battery. Why, if the range is sufficient?

Mornhinweg: On the one hand for psychological reasons, on the other hand for customers who are not only in the city. We have to make them an offer too.

I am convinced that the Sprinter will remain the most important model

Autogazette: Your colleagues in the passenger car sector expect sales of 15 to 25 percent of total electric cars by 2025. They also?

Mornhinweg: If I look at the last mile industry alone, then, under certain conditions, we come to a sales potential of more than 25 percent. The electric drive is ideal for this industry, because here the customer can reliably plan his routes and ranges. But the logistics industry only accounts for around ten percent of our total sales; the majority of our customers are craftsmen. We therefore consider a sales share of electric vehicles of around ten percent possible by 2025.

Autogazette: What offer do you offer your customers for the last mile apart from e-mobility?

Mornhinweg: In addition to electromobility, there is the connectivity of the overall system. In addition, we work with our customers to develop solutions for more efficient delivery from their distribution hubs. We don't just limit ourselves to the vehicle, we start our considerations in the warehouse.

Try out new delivery methods

Starship robot. Photo: Daimler
Starship robot. Photo: Daimler

Autogazette: Don't forget to offer other mobility solutions besides a vehicle like the Vito or Sprinter….

Mornhinweg: … of course. For example, we took part in Starship - and are testing new delivery methods with autonomous robots. Our Sprinter acts as a loading and transport station for eight robots. These robots ensure a new level of efficiency in delivery on the last mile. We are currently still in testing here.

Autogazette: You also work with drones in Zurich. How is it going on?

Mornhinweg: Here, drones bring the goods to one of our transporters, which then delivers the goods to the customer. We are in the trial phase here, which is running very successfully.

The aim is to develop multimodal approaches

eSprinter from Mercedes. Photo: Daimler
eSprinter from Mercedes. Photo: Daimler

Autogazette: Does the customer have to say goodbye to having their parcel delivered to their home?

Mornhinweg: In the end it won't just be the one solution. Sure, there will continue to be parcel delivery to your home, but also the parcel station where you pick up your parcel. The logistics industry is fighting massively with costs, so it is also a matter of increasing efficiency. The end customer will have to be prepared for the fact that he will have to pay more for the service of having a package delivered to his home within a few hours. It is important here to develop multimodal approaches.

Autogazette: You have entered into a cooperation with the mail order company Hermes, who will purchase 1,500 electric vans from you by 2020. Is this cooperation limited to the delivery of the vans?

Mornhinweg: In addition to delivering vans, it is also about accepting our customer's challenges and working out solutions together. For example, we are jointly developing a concept for an efficient charging infrastructure and IT services for optimal control of the electric fleet.

Frank Mertens conducted the interview with Volker Mornhinweg

Recommended: