TEST DRIVE
MIRRO MIRROR THE MERCEDES-BENZ ACTROS HAS SEEN GREAT SUCCESS ACROSS MANY WORLD MARKETS RESULTING IN RECORD PRODUCTION NUMBERS. THE DEVELOPMENTS FOUND IN THE LATEST EVOLUTION OF THE ACTROS ARE DRIVEN BY ADVANCED ELECTRONICS AND INCLUDE WHAT WAS CONSIDERED A FUTURISTIC CONCEPT JUST A FEW YEARS AGO AND IS NOW A REALITY: AUSTRALIA’S FIRST MIRRORLESS TRUCK.
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n keeping with the Daimler Trucks’ philosophy of ensuring a thorough understanding of all of their vehicles’ ability to handle the broad spectrum of Australian conditions prior to being brought to market, there are currently 20 pre-production Actros trucks committed to the local testing process, with the clear intention of gaining realistic feedback, mainly from large fleet clients. MercedesBenz management places a high value on such customer input and most of the local test units are involved in long distance linehaul applications as this is likely to be a major market focus once production vehicles become available during the first half of 2020. This next Actros comes with more than 40 innovations and with the mechanical components largely unchanged there is no real need to test the mechanical reliability of the truck, so the current assessment emphasis is on new systems designed to further advance the driver’s environment, vehicle safety and fuel efficiency and to ensure the trucks suit the intricacies of the Australian market. Success in Europe hasn’t precluded the Actros from still having the hard questions asked of it here during the local validation process. The most apparent physical change is the 54
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introduction of the ‘mirror cam’ system and the removal of conventional mirrors and brackets results in a significant impact on the Actros’s aerodynamics and a valuable improvement in fuel efficiency. The absence of traditional mirrors presents a much smoother airflow path with a palpable reduction in drag. MercedesBenz’s European research confirms a 1 to 1.3 per cent improvement in fuel economy at 80 km/h and it stands to reason that, at least, incremental gains can be achieved in Australian conditions due to higher road speeds on our highways. The camera brackets are mounted high in a location less likely to be damaged and presents an 80 per cent smaller target for impact with infrastructure or other vehicles. To further minimise damage the camera arms are capable of being folded back or forward approximately 60 degrees. Mercedes-Benz claim the replacement cost of an arm and camera unit will actually be slightly less than a conventional mirror assembly. Emergency mirrors with magnetic mounting clamps will also be available through dealers. The deletion of conventional mirrors and their mounts significantly improves the driver’s lateral fields of vision, most notable when turning right at intersections
The Mirrorless Mercedes-Benz Actros commercial vehicle.
and negotiating roundabouts. There are three gradation bars on the screens indicating three zones spaced at 30, 50 and 100 metres from the rear of the back trailer and provide an indication of when it is safe to merge left after overtaking so there is no longer the need to be ‘flashed’ back across by an overtaken truck. The zone bars are adjustable to suit various lengths and combinations of trailers and assist in making any driver capable of parking within 20mm of a dock which saves time and reduces damage costs. When in reverse the system switches to a panoramic display and the image follows the trailer based on steering wheel angle input.
