Daimler

Big rigs have a visibility problem, a stopping-distance problem, a blind-spot problem, and more. I went to Daimler North America’s proving grounds in Oregon to see their solutions.

The hugest electric motorhome at the 2026 Caravan Salon featured a Mercedes eActros truck and Bliss RV module. Not only was it among the most impressive vehicles there, it's about to further impress with a global road trip targeting 1,000 km/charge.

The world's first petrol truck, which dates back to 1896, is about to get new life. Or at least a convincing replica of that Daimler truck is being restored so that it can get back to all its 4-hp driving glory.

In development since 2020, and on show in prototype form last year at the IAA Transportation expo, the eActros LongHaul has been given a new name, range-tested in Germany, and now revealed in series production form as the eActros 600.

After two years in development, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has publicly unveiled a long-range version of its eActros freight truck in prototype form at IAA Transportation 2022 in Hanover, ahead of customer testing by Amazon and Rhenus next year.

Mercedes-Benz takes hands-free control to the next level at IAA Mobility 2021. Its scaly Vision AVTR looks as likely to eat its driver as obey, but with a new brain-computer interface, it becomes an extension of the driver's mind and body.

Smart has unveiled a sweet-looking "near production" preview of its next-gen electric urban cars. The Concept #1 is a compact crossover SUV with a super-slick interior and easy-access suicide doors in back – and it's huge ... for a Smart car, anyway.

If there's one way of getting automobiles to use less gas, it's by lowering their weight. With that in mind, European researchers have now created a plastic camshaft module, which they claim offers more advantages than simply being lightweight.

After extensive testing on a closed loop track, Daimler Trucks has taken its Level 4 autonomous truck out on public roads in Virginia.

This week marks the 125th anniversary of the first motor race, held between Paris and Rouen, a distance of 126 km. Twenty-one cars started, 17 finished, of which six were steam powered. Victory was shared by a Peugeot and a Panhard & Levassor, averaging 21 km/h (13 mph).

We've seen a number of solutions aimed at automatically parking the car so that drivers don't have to. Bosch and Daimler say that their app-controlled system is the first fully autonomous, completely driverless parking service to be officially approved by authorities for everyday use.​

Development engineers at Daimler Trucks are driving a specially kitted out Mercedes V-Class to motorway rest stops along major traffic routes around Stuttgart, Germany, to gauge driver opinions about systems Daimler is currently working on.