Alper Kurt, Mercedes-Benz Turkish Truck Marketing and Sales Director, ''The Weight of Electric Vehicles In our Total Production Volume Will Increase''

 “OUR FIRST MASS PRODUCTION eACTROS MODEL HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM THE PRODUCTION LINE”

Expressing that they announced that eActors will start mass production in 2021 in October last year and that they experienced an important milestone on October 7 this year, Kurt said: “Our first mass-production eActros model is at the Future Truck Center in Wörth, Germany. It has been released from the production line. Since the production of electric vehicles has just started, as infrastructure and incentive systems develop, the weight of these vehicles in our total production volume will increase over the years. At this stage, we do not foresee any problems in producing the planned units.”

“We Foresee That The Intensity Of Government Incentives Will Continue To Increase”

Kurt states that the efficiency of the 'Battery Electric Vehicle' and 'Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle' technologies, which form the basis of CO2-neutral transportation strategies in the long term, should be evaluated as a whole with adequate charging/hydrogen station infrastructure, service infrastructure of the new technology used in the electric vehicle, terms of use and plannable transportation routes and that even the planned government incentives for CO2-neutral vehicles in some of his European countries should be evaluated as a whole with their intensity. Kurt said that; “With the determination of long road maps as a result of the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in our country, we anticipate that the intensity of government incentives to be given to these vehicles will continue to increase. This will increase the demand for these vehicles in the long run. However, due to the reasons I have mentioned, we think that the weight in our total production volume will increase over the years and that electric vehicles will gain weight in our sales.”

“We Foresee That The Integration Of The Sector Will Accelerate In The Next 10 Years”

Stating that he thinks that with the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in our country, a roadmap for carbon dioxide-free vehicles can be drawn in a more concrete way, Kurt said: “Of course, after we start mass production, we will start the promotion of the relevant vehicles in the distribution segment, starting with battery technology in our country. But I don't think we will see it on our roads before 2023. We anticipate that the integration of the sector will accelerate in the next 10 years, with the increase in the infrastructure of charging stations for electric vehicles and the determination and enactment of government incentives for CO2-neutral transportation.”

“Our eActros Longhaul Model Can Reach About 500 Km with a Fully Charged Battery”

Stating that Daimler Truck AG, which acts with the vision of CO2-neutral, electric road freight transport, is the manufacturer and developer of lithium-ion batteries Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) announced that they are developing their existing partnership, Kurt emphasizes that this means the supply of lithium-ion batteries for the fully electric Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul, which is planned to start mass production in 2024 by CATL. Kurt said that; “Of course, we can say that this advantageous infrastructure will be used in our other truck models as well. The supply agreement is planned to continue in 2030 and beyond. The batteries in question have features such as long service life and fast charging feature, as well as high energy density. The batteries can thus meet the requirements of electric long-haul trucks. Advanced modularity and scalability are aimed in the developed solutions. We aim to flexibly use batteries for different purposes and future electric truck models. For example, our eActros LongHaul model, which was introduced in September 2020 for efficient transportation on planned long-distance routes, can reach a range of approximately 500 km with a fully charged battery. Our goal is to increase efficiency by further extending this range.”

“Production is Planned to Start in 2025”

Noting that they have joint ventures for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles apart from battery electric vehicles, Kurt states that Daimler Truck AG and Volvo Group announced their new fuel cell joint venture 'cellcentric' strategy this year. He points out that the "cellcentric" joint venture aims to use hydrogen as an environmentally friendly energy source in long-distance electric trucks, which are of great importance for road freight transport to be carbon-neutral. Kurt said that; “cellcentric is driven by the goal of becoming one of the world's leading manufacturers of fuel cell systems. For this purpose, the company plans to install one of Europe's largest mass-production fuel cell systems. Production is scheduled to begin in 2025. In line with the results of the 'cellcentric' initiative and the development of the sector, we can see infrastructure works in our country in the long term.”

“We Can See Our Tow Trucks With Hydrogen Technology On Roads Like 2027”

Noting that the urban distribution sector is expected to adapt in the first place during the introduction of electric vehicles to the market, Kurt states that thanks to the short-distance driving of this sector, they will be able to work more harmoniously with commercial vehicles with rechargeable batteries, and at the same time they will be more suitable for urban use. Emphasizing that distribution-cargo vehicles have a better chance of returning to the vehicle park and recharging after completing their work during the day, Kurt said: “The long-distance tow truck does not have that long to refuel. For example, a diesel-powered truck can take 1,000-1,200 liters of fuel in 10-15 minutes. Hydrogen stands out with its filling time. This is very close to diesel. In this sense, users can eliminate a significant disadvantage. We can see our tow trucks with hydrogen technology on the roads like 2027. So we still have time for alternative fuel in long-distance transport.”

“Aimed to Significantly Increase the Number of Charging Points”

Stating that with the agreement between Daimler Truck, TRATON GROUP and Volvo Group, the foundations of a joint venture planned to be put into operation in 2022 and equally owned by all three parties were laid, Kurt emphasized that the parties together invested 500 million euros in Europe within five years from the beginning of the joint venture and explains that they plan to establish and operate at least 1,700 high-performance green energy charging points in locations close to highways and logistics points (exit and destination locations) in Turkey. Kurt said that; “Over time, it is aimed to significantly increase the number of charging points by finding additional public funding and new partners. This joint venture will operate under its own corporate identity, headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It's too early to talk about planning. However, as I mentioned, with our country being a part of the Paris Climate Agreement, I think that a roadmap for vehicles without carbon dioxide emissions will be able to be drawn in a more concrete way.”

“THE SOLUTION TO CHIP CRISIS PROBLEM MAY BE FOUND IN 2023”

We asked our questions about the details of the chip shortage, which affects the automotive industry worldwide and is among the important issues of the industry, its impact on the industry and how the process will proceed in the face of the developing situation, to Alper Kurt, Mercedes Benz Turk Inc. Truck Marketing and Sales Director.

Stating that the worldwide supply shortage of some semiconductor components affected customer deliveries globally in the third quarter, especially in September, Kurt emphasizes that as Mercedes-Benz, they make every effort to respond to their customers' orders. Adding to his words that they achieved a strong performance in all departments in the second quarter, Kurt explains that the problem in chip supply is still current and that this shortage is expected to continue to affect the next quarters in terms of production and sales. Kurt said that; “Thanks to our close and successful cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Turk employees and suppliers, we maintained our production speed in the first and second quarters in line with the incoming demand. We continue our efforts to keep the impact of the supply problem foreseen in the last quarter of the year and in 2022 at a minimum level.”

“We Are Affected by Semiconductor Supply Points Like Electronics”

Stating that the regulations and solutions that their vehicles are subject to, especially in topics such as driving safety and driving comfort, which concern electronics, do not contain big differences when compared to a passenger car, Kurt said, "As Mercedes-Benz Turk, they offer various equipment to their customers on issues such as driving safety and driving comfort, and therefore, such as electronic states that they are affected at the semiconductor supply point. Kurt continued his words as follows: “With the Multimedia Cockpit, the most remarkable innovation in the interior of the new Actros, we continue to offer our customers advanced technology and comfort. You read the information about the cruise or the details about cabin comfort from the digital screens that we are accustomed to seeing in a passenger car, instead of the traditional gauges. Most of the vehicle functions can be managed via the touch screen or the touch control keys on the newly designed steering wheel. Multimedia Cockpit, which provides more driving and working comfort by establishing a unique bond between the vehicle and the driver, consists of a 10.2-inch (26 cm) primary and secondary screen and 2 15.2-inch (38.6 cm) color screens from which MirrorCam images are transferred. is formed. MirrorCam technology, which has now replaced the side mirrors in the Mercedes-Benz New Actros, is a world first in mass production trucks. It stands out as one of the most important features of the new Actros. Unlike other systems that activate after a certain speed, the new Active Driving Assistant supports the driver with semi-autonomous driving features at all speeds. Thus, our vehicles can offer second-level autonomous driving.”

“Heavy Commercial Vehicle Market Also Affected”

Indicating that the electronic scope of his vehicles is actually not that different from the passenger car on the truck side, Kurt said: “When you look at it on a piecemeal basis, there is a big difference between the truck production and truck market in Turkey and the passenger car production and passenger car market. At this point, it is difficult to make a determination in terms of being affected at the same rate; but it is possible to say that the heavy commercial vehicle market is also affected.”

 “The Solution To Chip Crisis Problem May Be Found In 2023”

Expressing that they saw a strong market performance in the first quarter of 2021, Kurt stated that they expect a normal truck market to emerge at the end of this year in line with the sales they made at that time. Emphasizing that the growth in international logistics had a positive impact on sales, but supply problems arose due to the chip crisis, Kurt stated that they felt this crisis more strongly in the second half of the year. Kurt said that; “Recently, Daimler AG's CEO Ola Källenius stated that the chip crisis may start to improve in the fourth quarter. He had stated in an interview that he had hopes. We can say that the sectors will be affected by the chip crisis problem in 2022 as well. It may take 2023 for the problem to disappear.”

“We Continuing Our Efforts To Keep The Impact Of The Problem At A Minimum”

Stating that the automotive industry slowed down or had to stop its production during the pandemic period, Kurt states that in this process, chip manufacturers directed their supply towards companies producing consumer products. Emphasizing that the acceleration of production along with the increasing demand in the automotive sector, when the effects of the pandemic began to slow down, revealed the chip crisis, Kurt said that; “Thanks to our close and successful cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Türk employees and suppliers, we maintained our production speed in the first and second quarters in line with the incoming demand. We continue our efforts to keep the impact of the supply problem foreseen in the last quarter of the year and in 2022 at a minimum level.”