11 minute read
CATCHING THE BUG
COVID-19 AND THE RISE OF ECOMMERCE
Serkan Sarikaya, acting general manager, Mercedes-Benz Vans MENA on making the last mile count
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced a rethink on a global scale of how we do business, how we order, send and receive goods and, significantly, how we not only manage but also view the transport and delivery networks that are so intrinsic to the smooth, daily operation of society as we know it.
Social distancing and lockdown measures have had an overwhelming impact on the traditional retail landscape, with the temporary closures of stores and malls spurring a mass migration of customers to online platforms, both global and local, in order to meet their daily needs. While the region’s malls were closed for a period of time, traffic, both virtual and on the roads, had received a significant boost.
If there are any plus points to emerge from the past months of economic unease, they can be seen in the rise of ecommerce and, as a direct result, the unparalleled demand for delivery services across the region and around the clock.
In a region where the mall remains king, the idea of online deliveries for most goods and items was previously viewed as almost a novelty of convenience, offered by companies to customers who were interested in the service.
Nowadays, however, delivery staff have risen to the status of ‘key’ workers, individuals who are essential to our daily lives. Firms are increasingly hiring manpower to meet the demand for rapid and dependable delivery of goods of all shapes and sizes.
This has presented a unique opportunity for Mercedes-Benz Vans in the region as delivery fleets grow in size to meet demand, firms are looking to add to their numbers with reliable and comfortable vehicle options that can move products safely and quickly.
Our expansive range of vans, technical expertise, renowned leasing, maintenance and repair services plus our reputation
FROM ORDER TO DELIVERY
Ecommerce companies rely on ‘ease of use’ from start to finish in order to attract customers.
A NEED FOR EXTRA MANPOWER
Firms are increasingly hiring manpower to meet the demand for rapid and dependable delivery of goods of all shapes and sizes.
for producing vehicles of exceptional quality and reliability means MercedesBenz Vans Middle East and North Africa product portfolio is an appealing choice for delivery and ecommerce companies striving to outperform their rivals in what has now evolved to be a hugely competitive marketplace.
Our Sprinter and Vito models offer variable load capacities as well as safety features such as Attention Assist that automatically detects signs of drowsiness or inattention in the driver who is advised to take a break. With more deliveries to make, drivers will spend more time on the road, therefore it is imperative that their
personal safety, the safety of other road users and the protection of the goods they are tasked with delivering, is maintained.
These models and their variants are available with powerful and reliable diesel engines that produce the torque required to move heavy loads for long distances, on a daily and cost-effective basis.
Ecommerce companies rely on ‘ease of use’ from start to finish in order to attract customers; they depend upon attractive and intuitive websites that are linked to a delivery chain that is consistently fast-paced and can be relied upon not to break down no matter the strains and pressures placed upon it.
In many cases, the timeframe of delivery is the deciding factor for a customer when making an online purchase. In the race to the top of the ecommerce food chain, the best performing companies have recognised the importance of meeting their ‘last mile’ commitments. This is where reputations are made or broken, customers left satisfied or disappointed, and where falling at the final hurdle is simply not an option.
The most successful companies know the significance of making the last mile count and invest accordingly in the kind of equipment and essential on-the-road resources that can be relied upon to deliver the goods, every time, without fail.
AVS THAT REDUCE MOTION SICKNESS / ADNOC DISTRIBUTION LAUNCHES HYBRID LUBRICANT / THE SEATS THAT CURE TRIP BLUES / THE CAR IN A BAG WORKSHOP
JLR says its AV tech can ‘reduce’ motion sickness
COMPANY TESTS TECHNOLOGY THAT TEACHES JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER VEHICLES TO HOW TO OPTIMISE THEIR DRIVING STYLE
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) says it is developing software that will reduce motion sickness by adapting the driving style of future autonomous vehicles, “to continue to provide our customers with the most refined and comfortable ride possible.”
The company is currently testing technology that teaches Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles to how to drive autonomously and optimise its driving style based on data gathered from every mile driven by its autonomous fleet across 20,000 real-world and virtually-simulated test miles.
Work on reducing motion sickness was initiated during the first phase of the project with a personalised ‘wellness score’ developed to target reducing the impact of motion sickness by up to 60%.
Experts at Jaguar Land Rover’s specialist software engineering facility in Shannon have now implemented that score into selfdriving software, explained JLR.
The intelligent software combines the test miles to calculate a set of parameters for driving dynamics to be rated against. According to
A LEARNING CURVE
Solving the problem of motion sickness in driverless cars is the key to unlocking the huge potential of this technology for passengers, says Dr Steve Iley, Jaguar Land Rover’s chief medical officer.
JLR, advanced machine learning then ensures the car can optimise its driving style based on data gathered from every mile driven by the autonomous fleet.
The system even maintains the individual characteristics of each model, “whether that’s the thoroughbred performance of a Jaguar or the legendary capability of a Land Rover. All helping Jaguar Land Rover’s continued development of the ultimate cabin experience in an autonomous, electric and connected future.”
According to JLR, motion sickness, affects more than 70% of people. It is typically caused when the eyes observe information different from that sensed by the inner ear, skin or body – commonly when reading on long journeys in a vehicle.
“Using the new system, acceleration, braking and lane positioning – all contributory factors to motion sickness – can be optimised to avoid inducing nausea in passengers,” said JLR. “As a result of the project, engineers are able to develop more advanced driver-assistance features.”
ADNOC REVEALS FIRST CERTIFIED LUBRICANT FOR HYBRIDS IN UAE
LUBRICANTS
ADNOC Distribution says it is one of the first companies to launch a range of lubricants for hybrid vehicles to be certified by the world-leading American Petroleum Institute’s (API) newest standards. The UAE’s largest fuel and convenience store retailer says the new ADNOC VOYAGER range of lubricants “offer greater fuel efficiency for hybrid vehicles.”
VOYAGER follows three new oil standards set by the International Lubricant Specification Advisory Committee (ILSAC) – ILSAC GF6A, GF-6B and API SP – which were introduced by the API on 1 May 2020. The range is one of the first globally to meet these new international standards.
INSIDE THIS MONTH’S WORKSHOP: WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE AFTERMARKET POST-COVID, FORD’S FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND, AND MORE!
SAMOTER TO BE HELD FROM 3-7 MARCH, 2021
EVENTS
Veronafiere, the organisers of the construction equipment industry trade shows SaMoTer and Asphaltica, has announced that the two shows will now take place from March 3-7, 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic forced their postponement earlier this year.
A statement from the organisers of the Italian event said it had decided the new dates of the 31st edition of SaMoTer and the ninth edition in Asphaltica in agreement with the steering committee.
“Veronafiere’s two shows for the construction equipment and bitumen and road infrastructure value chains will meet exhibitors and operators next year, from Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 March 2021. The decision was shared by the steering committee for the two events comprising manufacturers, stakeholders and industry associations alongside Veronafiere Unacea and Siteb after noting the persistent scenario of international uncertainty linked with Covid-19,” said the statement. The debut at SaMoTer by ICCX Southern Europe, the main prefabricated concrete event for southern Europe created in collaboration with ad-media GmbH, is also rescheduled for the new dates in 2021.
Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of Veronafiere, said: “The new 2021 dates will mean that the two events will be the first to inaugurate the calendar of specific trade fairs for the world of construction in Europe. Rescheduling these events will ensure broader representativeness in terms of large international groups, thereby intercepting the recovery on the market in the wake of resumption by construction sites, not the least thanks to resources made available by the Recovery Fund.”
FORD CURING ‘TRIP BLUES’
INTERIORS
Whether stuck in rush-hour traffic or cruising for hours on the open road on a summer road trip, commuting can be a real pain. Literally. Thankfully, one doctor has the prescription.
Supervisor Mike Kolich – Ford’s Dr Comfort – and the Ford global seating and comfort team have introduced a sleek and stylish new front seat offering in the all-new 2020 Ford Explorer which “maintains the stringent Ford standard for shape and softness and does so with a less cumbersome design” that frees up space for second-row passengers.
“Road trips can be largely defined by how comfortable people are – and when you get down to it, how comfortable our seats allow them to be,” said Kolich, whose Ph.D. in industrial and manufacturing systems engineering with an
emphasis on seat comfort has earned him the moniker among Ford seating experts.
“As engineers, we’re thrilled with this new seat, but really it’s what our customers say and think that matters.”
That expectation, defined as the Ford comfort DNA, is measured largely by two factors – shape and softness. Kolich and team have maintained the comfort
END OF TRIAL AND ERROR
Ford’s Mike Kolich says that seat design has got much smarter through the use of lab testing.
standard in the new front-row seat debuting on the all-new Explorer while eliminating some of the bulk by reducing the thickness of the seat back and shoulder area.
The first-for-Ford design is the seating team’s latest innovation. For the all-new Explorer, the team started with its award-winning seat architecture that represents the nexus of all Ford seats regardless of vehicle type or size.
WALKCAR: THE CAR YOU CAN CARRY IN A BAG
TECHNOLOGY
Japan’s Cocoa motors. Inc. has started the worldwide sale of a vehicle users can carry with them in a bag. Dubbed the Walkcar, it is a small and light “car in a bag” weighing only 2.9 kg. According to the manufacturer, it can reach speeds of up to 16 km/hour along and includes safety features such as automatic stopping function.
The company said that since its launch in 2016, the Walkcar
has enjoyed widespread media coverage and received a total of approximately 7,800 pre-orders from 13 countries around the world.
“For about four years since the product announcement, there has been much research and development, as well as product improvements, and now, finally, it is officially released worldwide. Walkcar is a “portable car” invented in Japan. It is a car users can carry
HANDSFREE CONTROL
Four sensors inside the standing surface lets you control the basic manoeuvre based on you shifting your weight to accelerate, deaccelerate, and turn without using a handle or a remote controller. around like a laptop PC, and it offers a new lifestyle that is not dependent on any transportation network. The time to choose “walking” or “ Walkcar “ anytime has come,” said the company in a statement.
With a name that also harks back to Sony’s Walkman of the 1980s, the car is the same size as a 13-inch laptop PC. The compact gives it the portability to fit in a bag, and it is the best shape for safety. The vehicle height is just 74mm above the ground (about the width of a smartphone). The flat and square standing surface allows you to step off instantly in any direction safely.
A special motor for the 2.9kg vehicle took five years to produce. The body is wholly integrated through welding that reduces the space for screws and maximised the coil space to the extreme. It drives at a speed of bicycles at 16km/h and can drive up slopes of up to 10 degrees.
