<br /> <keyword id="86015" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Daimler">Daimler</keyword> AG, the German multinational automotive corporation and <keyword id="6359474" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Volvo">Volvo</keyword> AB, the Swedish multinational manufacturing, will most probably feature among the biggest success stories of the Make-in-India campaign of the Indian government. Both established names in the global heavy-duty transport industry are eyeing India as the export hub for their large trucks and luxury buses. <br /><br /> <keyword id="25952" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mercedes-Benz">Mercedes-Benz</keyword>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/finance/carlos-ghosn-saved-nissan-heres-his-plan-to-do-it-again-at-mitsubishi/articleshow/58438154.cms">Mitsubishi</a> Fuso, <keyword id="3504038" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Freightliner">Freightliner</keyword> and <keyword id="1550420" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="UD-Trucks">UD Trucks</keyword> are all being manufactured for buyers located across the globe, thus helping India step out of its comfort zone of exporting compact cars and two-wheelers to emerging economies.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/transportation/daimler-has-figured-out-that-taking-on-tesla-is-about-more-than-just-cars/articleshow/57433490.cms">Daimler</a> has its Indian subsidiary called Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) and exports Mercedes-Benz-badged trucks and buses from its suburban Chennai (Oragadam) facility. These orders are primarily placed by Southeast Asian markets. On the other hand, it exports the India-made <keyword id="522332" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mitsubishi-Fuso">Mitsubishi Fuso</keyword> range of trucks to 28 countries. <br /><br /> Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/transportation/mercedes-most-affordable-cars-are-about-to-get-a-stylish-new-update/articleshow/58250599.cms">Mercedes' most affordable cars are about to get a stylish new update</a> <br /><br /> Later this year, it will also begin exporting the Freightliner-branded giant trucks to Mexico, people in the know told <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/news/commercial-vehicle/daimler-volvo-making-india-export-hub-for-its-heavy-vehicles/articleshow/58450799.cms">ET</a>. <br /><br /> "DICV has been awarded significant responsibilities within Daimlers' global truck and bus businesses. With the launch of a third product line for exports in 2017 at DICV, we will enter the next stage in the strategic collaboration of DICV and Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks &amp; Buses Corporation, under <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/tech/robot-delivery-company-starship-technologies-raised-17-2-million-in-a-round-led-by-daimler/articleshow/56504574.cms">Daimler</a> Trucks Asia," said Erich Nesselhauf, MD of DICV.<br /><br /> Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/made-in-india-mercedes-benz-e-class-launched-at-rs-56-15-lakh/articleshow/57389919.cms">‘Made-in-India’ Mercedes-Benz E-Class launched at Rs 56.15 lakh</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/tech/volvo-will-launch-its-first-all-electric-car-in-2019-to-take-on-tesla-heres-everything-we-know/articleshow/58270671.cms">Volvo AB</a> will also begin overseas sales of the light-duty UD Trucks later this year, locally made at its Indian joint-venture plant at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh. <br /><br /> These trucks and buses that have been made in India have been praised by international buyers. <br /><br /> Apart from these foreign players, India’s own truck makers <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/transportation/cars/tata-motors-compact-sedan-tigor-launched-for-rs-4-7-lakh/articleshow/57893428.cms">Tata Motors</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/markets/Shares-of-Ashok-Leyland-fell-for-the-3rd-day-Know-why/articleshow/48757510.cms">Ashok Leyland</a> are also in the process of building modern truck ranges so that they can gain a competitive presence in the export markets.<br /><br />(Image source Team BHP)<br />

Daimler and Volvo are making India their export hub

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Its battery can take up to a fourth of that weight. </li><li>An electric long-haul truck in 2030 could be up to 5,328 pounds heavier than a regular diesel truck, experts predict.</li></ul><p>American truck manufacturers like Freightliner and Tesla are already delivering the electric trucks that the industry needs to pivot away from gas engines. </p><p>New legislation, like the Inflation Reduction Act, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-truck-markets-amazon-walmart-fedex-cash-biden-climate-bill-2022-8">is encouraging</a> the change through credits for green commercial vehicles, but the weight of massive batteries is still standing in the way. </p><p>A semi-truck including its cargo can legally weigh a maximum of 80,000 pounds. A battery for an electric truck can be up to 16,000 pounds, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2023/01/25/who-makes-americas-semi-trucks.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent reporting</a> by CNBC. That's nearly a quarter of the total weight of the truck. </p><p>The <a href="https://freightliner.com/trucks/ecascadia/specifications/#tab-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eCascadia</a> electric semi-truck, which was released last year by truck manufacturer Freightliner, <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/battery-powered-trucks-bring-weighty-questions-to-climate-fight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weighs</a> up to 4,000 pounds more than a regular diesel truck, for example. </p><p>That's heavy, but less overall weight than the average electric semis, which a University of California <a href="https://aboutblaw.com/Xa7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> estimated will be more than 5,000 pounds heavier than their carbon-spewing counterparts by 2030. </p><p>That's more than 5,000 pounds<em> less </em>cargo on the truck. In terms of cargo, that's space for nearly 17,000 t-shirts, 16,000 apples, or one full car less than a non-electric semi-truck could carry. </p><p>The weight of the batteries "creates significant challenges economically for trucking companies," Craig Fuller, founder and CEO of FreightWaves, a supply chain data provider, told CNBC. "And they're not willing to sort of give up their ability to haul cargo and the amount of cargo they can have, just for the sake of being carbon neutral or having electric vehicles." </p><p>Even if most truckers are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trucking-fatalities-increased-despite-electronic-logging-device-eld-mandate-2023-1?inline-endstory-related-recommendations=">paid per mile driven</a>, freight weights play an important part in determining a trucking company's profit, as some freight can be<a href="https://sonar.freightwaves.com/freight-market-blog/how-is-freight-priced-a-dive-into-freight-cost-per-unit-of-measurement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> priced</a> on a hundred-weight and volume, or on the ton-mile, and trucking companies generally have low net <a href="https://ratings.freightwaves.com/profit-and-loss-statement-for-a-trucking-company/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">margin</a> of between 2.5% and 6%.</p>

Electrifying trucking will mean sacrificing critical weight for heavy batteries, eating into already-slim margins

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Truck manufacturer Daimler has a production capacity of around 2000 electric semi-trucks per year. </li><li>It has only deployed around 100 of them.</li></ul><p>Electric semi-trucks are ready to go. The technology is there, manufacturers have capacity to produce them, and demand is only going to increase. </p><p>Sure, the batteries <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-trucks-longhaul-batteries-tesla-heavy-cargo-weight-problem-2023-2">are a bit heavier</a> than truckers might like, but that's not what's slowing down the deployment of electric semi-trucks on US streets. The problem is that there's still no way of charging big fleets of them, according to Daimler Truck North America president and CEO John O'Leary. </p><p>Daimler, the leading US heavy-duty truck manufacturer,<a href="https://northamerica.daimlertruck.com/PressDetail/world-premiere-of-the-new-battery-2022-05-09" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> unveiled</a> the Class 8 Freightliner eCascadia, its first fully electric semi-truck, in May of 2022. Its current production capacity is around 2000 trucks per year and it wouldn't be hard to double that number to 4000, O'Leary said in a recent media briefing reported by <a href="https://www.trucknews.com/sustainability/broad-ev-rollouts-constrained-by-infrastructure-challenges-daimler-truck-ceo/1003172321/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trucknews.com</a>. But there are only around 100 electric trucks out on the streets. </p><p>"Overwhelmingly, infrastructure is slowing us down in terms of EV deployment," he said during the briefing. "Siting, permitting, construction delays – all that means current lead times are measured in years, not weeks or months."</p><p>If the US EV charging infrastructure is already <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-vehicles-charging-stations-where-to-plug-in-2030-2023-1">not enough </a>for the rapidly increasing number of electric cars being bought and used — it needs to be quadrupled by 2025, and to grow more than eight times by 2030, according to a new report out of S&amp;P Global Mobility — it's definitely not enough for fleets of big trucks with big batteries. </p><p>Building charging infrastructure for electric semi-trucks poses different <a href="https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1128558_utilities-aim-to-make-i-5-a-west-coast-electric-highway-for-commercial-trucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenges</a> compared to charging infrastructure for regular EVs: Long-haul semi-trucks need to be charged relatively fast, which requires much more power than regular fast chargers for passenger vehicles, they need lots of real estate connected to the grid to park and maneuver. </p><p>The majority of electric passenger vehicles charging stations have fast charging at around 150 kilowatt. To charge fast enough, a semi-truck <a href="https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1132019_first-charging-station-electric-semis-megawatt-fast-charging" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would need</a> something closer to a full megawatt, and a station that allows multiple trucks to be charged with that amount of power <em>at the same time. </em></p><p>There are only a handful of places that can offer it, one of the first ones being<a href="https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1132019_first-charging-station-electric-semis-megawatt-fast-charging" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Electric Island</a>, developed by Portland General Electric and Daimler Trucks North America. </p><p>Fleet operators report that setting up charging infrastructure can take more than a year, according to a December 2022 <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/fleet-decarbonization-operationalizing-the-transition?stcr=5E41D3E4A0E44A8AB1251119CEF46775&amp;cid=other-eml-alt-mip-mck&amp;hlkid=cf69cd78c86a42938ccdc7806b06c93d&amp;hctky=14495856&amp;hdpid=4eb1e872-7192-48d7-b6cb-0642d205d4c5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by consulting company McKinsey. </p><p>And once they're built, the amount of power it will have to provide might be a challenge for the power grid. </p><p>Experts predict that a charging installation serving both cars and trucks along a highway might need to provide around 19 megawatts of peak power by 2035, which is roughly what a small town draws, according to<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-charging-stations-power-grid-energy-small-town-2022-11"> a study </a>from the electricity and gas utility National Grid. </p>

Electric semi-trucks are ready to be deployed, but there aren't near enough plugs to charge them

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dcd10ea3afd377736718672-2400/2019-11-14t083036z2lynxmpefad0rcrtroptp4daimler-outlook.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: A Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA car is displayed prior to the Daimler annual shareholder meeting in Berlin, Germany, April 6, 2016.  REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>The Daimler Group has joined Ford and FCA in shutting down vehicle production in Europe.</li><li>The Daimler Group, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, holds numerous brands, such as Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Smart, an Freightliner heavy trucks.</li><li>Daimler said that the shutdown would last for two weeks, initially.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p><br />On Tuesday, the Daimler Group announced that it was suspending all European production for an "initial period of two weeks," to curtail the outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus that has killed thousands and sickened many thousands more.</p><p>"The suspension applies to Daimler's car, van and commercial vehicle plants in Europe and will start this week," the automaker said in a statement to Business Insider.</p><p>"Connected to this is an assessment of global supply chains, which currently cannot be maintained to their full extent. An extension of this measure will depend on further developments. Wherever operations need to be continued, the company will take appropriate precautions to prevent the infection of its employees."</p><p>Daimler said it was following the recommendations of authorities, adding that "with these closures, Daimler is helping to protect its workforce, to interrupt chains of infection and to contain the spread of the pandemic."</p><p>"At the same time, this will help the company to prepare for a period of temporarily lower demand and to protect its financial strength," it said.</p><p>The move follows Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ford idling European production. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, and Ducati have all shut down their factories.</p>

Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz and other automotive brands, is shutting down production in Europe as the coronavirus outbreak rages

<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b193ee21ae66221008b4d89-1440/18a0460.jpg" border="0" alt="daimler ecascadia and em2" data-mce-source="Daimler" /><p class="source"><span>Daimler</span></p><p class="caption">Daimler's Freightliner eCascadia will have half the range of a Tesla Semi.</p></div><p></p></div></div></strong></p><ul><li><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/daimler">Daimler</a> unveiled two electric trucks on Thursday, one of which will compete directly with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/tesla">Tesla</a>'s semi-truck, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/tesla-semi">Semi</a>.</strong></li><li><strong>The Freightliner eCascadia will have a range of 250 miles and be able to receive 200 miles of range from a 90-minute charge.</strong></li><li><strong>Tesla's Semi will have double the range of the eCascadia, 500 miles, and be able to receive up to 400 miles of range from a 30-minute charge.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />Daimler unveiled two electric trucks on Thursday, one of which will compete directly with Tesla's semi-truck, the Semi.</p><p>The heavy-duty Freightliner eCascadia will have a 550 kWh battery pack with a range of 250 miles and produce 730 horsepower. The vehicle will be able to receive 200 miles of range from a 90-minute charge. </p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-semi-truck-pictures-2017-11#the-big-rig-has-an-impressive-range-of-500-miles-per-charge-4">Tesla's Semi</a> will have double the range of the eCascadia, 500 miles, and be able to receive up to 400 miles of range from a 30-minute charge. It will also be able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in five seconds without any cargo and in 20 seconds while carrying 80,000 pounds of cargo.</p><p>In February, Martin Daum, the head of Daimler's truck and bus division, cast doubt on Tesla's ability to deliver on the Semi's impressive specs in an interview with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-21/daimler-throws-shade-at-tesla-e-trucks-plan-as-rivalry-heats-up?utm_source=yahoo&amp;utm_medium=bd&amp;utm_campaign=headline&amp;cmpId=yhoo.headline&amp;yptr=yahoo">Bloomberg</a>.</p><p><span>"If Tesla really </span>delivers<span> on this promise, we'll obviously buy two trucks - one to take apart and one to test because if that happens, something has passed us by," he told the publication. He also implied that the Semi's specs would break the laws of physics.</span></p><p>On Thursday, Daimler also revealed the medium-duty Freigthliner eM2, which is designed for local and last-mile delivery services and will have a range of around 230 miles.</p><p>Daimler will give 30 electric trucks from its "electric innovation fleet" to early customers by the end of the year, and will begin series production for the eCascadia and eM3 in 2021. It's unclear if the vehicles from the electric innovation fleet will consist of prototypes or resemble the production versions of the trucks. Daimler did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p><p><span>"We are the undisputed global leader of the trucking industry and we intend to remain in that position with electric trucks and buses," the company said in a press release. "We were first-movers on electric trucks and strive to set the standard in each relevant segment."</span></p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Tesla stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/TSLA-Quote"> <strong>here.</strong></a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-meet-financial-and-social-impact-goals-2018-5">Millennials are driving a shift in investing - here's how to meet your financial and social impact goals</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/fpmfB5Na-xjRU7l6Z.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Daimler just unveiled an electric truck to take on Tesla's Semi

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/593aae2abf76bb1d008b497f-1067/16c80819.jpg" alt="Daimler Fuso eCanter" /><p class="source"><span>Daimler</span></p><p class="caption">Daimler's battery-powered Fuso eCanter truck can drive for 62 miles on a single charge.</p>Just a month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company was pursuing an electric truck in his "<a href="https://www.tesla.com/blog/master-plan-part-deux" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Master Plan, Part Deux</a>," Daimler revealed a stylish one of its own.<p>During a German trade show for electric vehicles last September, a Daimler trucking unit showed off its eCanter: a light-duty, electric truck that has since undergone over 60,000 kilometers (roughly 37,000 miles) of testing on public streets in Germany and Portugal.</p><p>Daimler is launching a limited series production run of the eCanter later this year in Tokyo, Lisbon, and New York. The ultimate goal is to begin mass production in 2019, around the same time Tesla plans to reveal its semi-truck.</p><p>"In trucks, of course [Elon Musk's] stepping into it, but we don't see him as someone who is threatening us because you need a whole infrastructure," Marc Llistosella, Head of Daimler Trucks Asia<strong>,</strong> told Business Insider. "You need dealerships, you need infrastructure, you need maintenance."</p><p>"It's not so easy like a consumer good, it's an industrial good, so it will be very difficult for him," he continued.</p><h2>'The game is just starting'</h2><p><span></span></p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/593aae53bf76bb1d008b4982-1775/16c82312d323793.jpg" alt="Daimler electric truck" /><p class="source"><span>Daimler</span></p><p class="caption">An inside shot of the Urban eTruck, an electric truck being developed by Mercedes-Benz Trucks.</p>The move is a natural progression for a company that has sought to diversify its portfolio with investments in trucking since the early 2000s. Daimler's truck unit now oversees four different brands: Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Freightliner Trucks, Mitsubishi FUSO, Western Star, and BharatBenz.<p><span>Freightliner Trucks, Daimler's heavy duty trucking division, has secured 40% market share in the US. Mitsubishi FUSO, which has <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-11/daimler-reports-surge-in-first-quarter-profit-on-mercedes-sales" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">struggled with declining demand</a>, sells light-, medium-, and heavy- duty trucks to 172 markets.</span></p><p><span>"In class 8, with freightliner, we are the number one in America, so we have something to defend," Llistosella said. "In the smaller ones, the game is just starting."</span></p><p><span>The eCanter is being developed by FUSO, which Daimler acquired a majority stake of in 2004. Llistosella is also the president and CEO of Mistubishi FUSO.</span></p><p>Llistosella said FUSO will lease a total of 150 trucks to municipalities and private companies this year. Convenience chain 7-eleven bought 25 trucks in Tokyo, but Llistosella declined to name other buyers. Daimler will begin full-scale series production in 2019.</p><p>The eCanter has an expected range of over 100 kilometers (62 miles) and can carry between two to three tons (4,000-6,000 pounds). It can charge in under an hour with a DC fast charger.</p><p>Daimler's ultimate goal is to launch an entire line of electric trucks, including a heavy-duty truck, as battery tech improves over time.</p><p>The truck industry is ripe for massive disruption in the next decade as companies look to electrify and automate trucks.</p><p>Within Daimler, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is currently testing its battery-powered <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mercedes-electric-truck-photos-2017-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Urban eTruck</a> in Germany and plans to bring it to market in 2020. Meanwhile, in 2015, Freightliner Trucks tested a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mercedes-self-driving-big-rig-on-a-public-highway-2015-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">semi-autonomous big rig</a> on a public highway - a first for the trucking industry.</p><p>But <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-semi-truck-companies-helping-design-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tesla</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-of-uber-otto-acquisition-2017-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Uber</a> also have plans to automate and electrify trucks. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nikola-one-hydrogen-truck-photos-features-2017-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nikola Motor</a>, a startup, is aiming to release a hydrogen-powered truck by 2021.</p><p>"We said, 'just do a truck.' Other companies are doing the same, let's do it right, let's be a frontrunner in something," Llistosella said.</p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Tesla stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/TSLA-Quote"> <strong>here.</strong></a></p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mercedes-benz-innovation-windshield-wipers-2017-1">Mercedes finally has a solution to the most annoying thing about windshield wipers</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video                    

Mercedes' parent company is building a truck that will rival Tesla - and an exec says Elon Musk isn't a threat

<p>I never liked the Audi A7 much.</p><p>Since the German automaker first introduced it as the Sportback concept at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009, and later produced the hulking, four-door, four-passenger car in 2010, I saw the A7 as the red-headed stepchild of the Audi brand. You'll have to excuse the clichéd expression, but I was not a fan.</p><p>The A7 was long like an asphalt-bound freightliner, the steeply-raked roofline and the abrupt rear end gave the appearance of a squatting, hump-backed brute. Its dour rear fascia - the taillights and rear bumper collectively - had a sort of perma-grimace to them, like a bulldog.</p><p>It's an odd car in an Audi line that is internationally renowned for graceful European design. For me, the A7 was a car that never should have been made.</p><p>But another version of the A7 changed my mind. Audi Sport, the car maker's racing division in charge of pumping a select few Audi vehicles with extra everything, transforming them into muscular road torpedoes dripping with horsepower, performed such a treatment on the skeleton of an A7, producing the twin-turbo, eight-cylinder, 605-horsepower RS7 Performance.</p><p>Audi recently sent me one in Panther Black Crystal for a weeklong test-drive. I figured this might be the one to change my mind.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59bca6f79803c5b3308b635a-2000/3small2.jpg" alt="2017 Audi RS7" data-mce-source="Bryan Logan/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="2017 Audi RS7." /><p class="source"><span>Bryan Logan/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Audi RS7 Performance.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Oh, my.</p>

The Audi RS7 Performance is a vicious six-figure supercar wrapped in a luxury sedan

<p>I never liked the Audi A7 much.</p><p>Since the German automaker first introduced it as the Sportback concept at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009, and later produced the hulking, four-door, four-passenger car in 2010, I saw the A7 as the red-headed stepchild of the Audi brand. You'll have to excuse the clichéd expression, but I was not a fan.</p><p>The A7 was long like an asphalt-bound freightliner, the steeply-raked roofline and the abrupt rear end gave the appearance of a squatting, hump-backed brute. Its dour rear fascia - the taillights and rear bumper collectively - had a sort of perma-grimace to them, like a bulldog.</p><p>It's an odd car in an Audi line that is internationally renowned for graceful European design. For me, the A7 was a car that never should have been made.</p><p>But another version of the A7 changed my mind. Audi Sport, the car maker's racing division in charge of pumping a select few Audi vehicles with extra everything, transforming them into muscular road torpedoes dripping with horsepower, performed such a treatment on the skeleton of an A7, producing the twin-turbo, eight-cylinder, 605-horsepower RS7 Performance.</p><p>Audi recently sent me one in Panther Black Crystal for a weeklong test-drive. I figured this might be the one to change my mind.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59bca6f79803c5b3308b635a-2000/3small2.jpg" alt="2017 Audi RS7" data-mce-source="Bryan Logan/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="2017 Audi RS7." /><p class="source"><span>Bryan Logan/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Audi RS7.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Oh, my.</p>

The Audi RS7 Performance is a vicious $152,000 supercar wrapped in a luxury sedan

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59f094ac3e9d25a8028b49d8-1200/17c87802.jpg" alt="daimler electric truck" data-mce-source="Mitsubishi FUSO" /><p class="source"><span>Mitsubishi FUSO</span></p><p class="caption">The E-FUSO Vision One is an electric heavy duty truck concept designed by Mitsubishi FUSO.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Mitsubishi FUSO, a trucking division owned by Daimler, just unveiled an electric heavy duty truck concept at the Tokyo Motor Show.</strong></li><li><strong>Mitsubishi FUSO is already leasing a smaller electric truck called the FUSO eCanter.</strong></li><li><strong>Tesla plans to unveil an electric semitrailer on November 16.</strong></li></ul><p>Daimler just showed off an electric truck concept at the Tokyo Motor Show - and it could compete with Tesla's semitrailer that the company plans to reveal in early November.</p><p>Daimler is best known as the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, but the German company also owns Mitsubishi FUSO, a truck unit. Most recently, the trucking division <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/daimler-beats-tesla-electric-truck-launch-2017-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">launched an electric light-duty truck</a> that can drive up to 80 miles on a single charge. Called the FUSO eCanter, the truck has been leased by municipalities and private companies in Tokyo, Lisbon, and New York.</p><p><span>Now Daimler is gearing up to put an electric, heavy-duty truck on the market. It revealed a prototype of the truck at the motor show on Wednesday in Tokyo. Mitsubishi FUSO didn't say when the vehicle will come to market.</span></p><p><span>The Class 8 concept, dubbed the E-FUSO Vision One, weighs 51,150 pounds and can drive 220 miles on a single charge, according to Mitsubishi FUSO. It will likely compete with Tesla's electric semitrailer that the company plans to unveil on November 16 after delaying the launch twice.</span></p><p>Tesla's truck is said to have a 200- to a 300-mile driving range and self-driving capabilities, according to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-semi-delay-model-3-production-2017-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>.</p><p>It's still too early to tell how Mitsubishi FUSO's truck will stack up to Tesla's semi, but the Daimler-owned company is a considered a leader in the heavy duty trucking industry. Freightliner Trucks, FUSO's heavy-duty trucking division, has secured 40% market share in the US.</p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Tesla stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/TSLA-Quote"> <strong>here.</strong></a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/daimler-mercedes-bosch-automated-parking-garage-ai-2017-7">Automated valet parking is coming sooner than you think</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/8hUgqKmg-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Daimler just unveiled an electric heavy-duty truck concept that could rival Tesla's semi

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5818d45f362ca478258b6037-517/10312016 tfo nog meth tortillas 1.jpg" alt="Border patrol agents drug smuggling meth tortillas food" data-mce-source="US Customs and Border Patrol" data-mce-caption="CBP agents in Arizona intercepted meth hidden in packages of tortillas in late October 2016." /><p class="source"><span>US Customs and Border Patrol</span></p><p class="caption">CBP agents in Arizona intercepted meth hidden in packages of tortillas in late October 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/weed-shipment-hidden-in-cucumbers-san-diego-2016-10" target="_blank">trend</a> of drug smugglers using <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/strange-drug-smuggling-methods-drugs-in-food-at-border/#stuffed-chili-peppers-and-fake-carrots-1" target="_blank">food to obscure</a> their cargos continued over the weekend.</p><p>Customs and Border Protection officers at the Morley pedestrian crossing at the border in Nogales, Arizona, <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/methamphetamine-smugglers-busted-port-nogales" target="_blank">stopped</a> a 62-year-old man from Arizona on Friday.</p><p>The officers, using a narcotics-detection canine, found nearly 3 pounds of meth in a package of tortillas the man was carrying.</p><p>That seizure was <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/methamphetamine-smugglers-busted-port-nogales" target="_blank">followed</a> by one of 26 pounds of meth worth almost $78,000, which was found the next day hidden in the Chevy SUV of a US citizen living in Mexico.</p><p>A day before the meth-laden tortillas were uncovered, CBP agents and a canine team at the Pharr <keyword id="6356001" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">International</keyword> Bridge in McAllen, Texas, <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-field-operations-seizes-nearly-2-million-meth-pharr-international" target="_blank">searched</a> a Freightliner tractor loaded with a commercial shipment of carrots.</p><p>Mixed in with the carrots, officers recovered 159 packages carrying 88 pounds of what is suspected to be methamphetamine, with an estimated <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-field-operations-seizes-nearly-2-million-meth-pharr-international" target="_blank">value of $1,763,680</a>.</p><p>Traffickers have often <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/strange-drug-smuggling-methods-drugs-in-food-at-border/#stuffed-chili-peppers-and-fake-carrots-1" target="_blank">mixed illicit drugs in with food shipments</a>. Perishable items are thought to not attract the same scrutiny as other goods going over the border, and odorous food items help obscure illegal drugs, particularly marijuana.</p><p>In August, border agents uncovered more than <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2016-08-10-000000/cbp-field-operations-seizes-over-800k-marijuana-pharr" target="_blank">4,000 pounds of marijuana</a> hidden among limes. In two incidents in early July, border agents found <a href="http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Nearly-5-million-in-meth-found-in-trucks-hauling-8343102.php" target="_blank">well over 200 pounds</a> of meth hidden in shipments of jalapeños and cucumbers.</p><p>Marijuana, a bulky substance, is usually carried across the border in large quantities. That typically means big shipments obscured within other cargos or in large amounts carried through underground tunnels.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56fe70b891058426008ba0d7-2400/mexico drug tunnel marijuana.jpg" alt="Mexico drug tunnel marijuana" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Jorge Duenes" data-mce-caption="Packs of marijuana are stored in a tunnel in Tijuana, November 3, 2010. US border police found a sophisticated drug smugglers' tunnel the length of six football fields linking Southern California with Mexico and arrested two people, authorities said. Agents recovered more than 25 tonnes of marijuana in seizures related to the investigation in both California and Mexico and arrested a US citizen and his Mexican wife." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Jorge Duenes</span></p><p class="caption">Packs of marijuana are stored in a tunnel in Tijuana, November 3, 2010.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>But mules are still employed to carry marijuana into the US from Mexico.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/del-rio-sector-border-patrol-agents-seize-1200-lbs-narcotics" target="_blank">three separate incidents</a> around central Texas at the end of September and beginning of October, CBP agents apprehended seven suspected smugglers on foot carrying hundreds of pounds of marijuana.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/bbt-agents-and-law-enforcement-partners-seize-over-ton-marijuana" target="_blank">four separate incidents</a> in west Texas between October 17 and 23, CBP agents intercepted 20 men attempting to carry hundreds of pounds of marijuana across the border.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-drug-profits-stay-united-states-narconomics-tom-wainwright-2016-4">Why most of the profits in the drug business stay in the United States</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BzOTlvMjE6GvdBRltuIhBojo9IigkNAe" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'BzOTlvMjE6GvdBRltuIhBojo9IigkNAe',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Smugglers continue to use food to hide drug shipments - this time it's tortillas

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5797ac9988e4a79f178babbf-477/screen shot 2016-07-26 at 2.30.51 pm.png" alt="Tesla Model S Fatal Crash" data-mce-source="NTSB" /><p class="source"><span>NTSB</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The Tesla Model S involved in a fatal crash was speeding with the car's Autopilot advanced assistance features engaged at the time of the incident.</p><p>According to a preliminary <a href="http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HWY16FH018-Preliminary-Report.pdf" target="_blank">report released by the National Transportation Safety Board</a> on Tuesday, the car was traveling at nine miles per hour over the 65 mph speed limit at the time of the crash.</p><p>The NTSB report indicates that the car's Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer lane keeping assistance - two features that comprise Tesla's Autopilot system - were in operation at the time of the crash.</p><p>The May 7 crash, which claimed the life of the car's 40-year-old driver, is the first fatality involving Tesla's much-hyped advanced semi-autonomous Autopilot system. The incident occurred on US Highway 27A in Williston, Florida. The Model S hit the side undercarriage of a tractor trailer - sheering off the roof of the Tesla - as the truck was making a left turn across traffic.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5797ad5588e4a7b32e8babc6-799/screen shot 2016-07-26 at 2.31.09 pm.png" alt="Tesla Model S Fatal Crash" data-mce-source="NTSB" /><p class="source"><span>NTSB</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>This is not the final accident report and the findings may be subject to revisions by the agency.</p><p>Here's the complete NTSB preliminary report:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>About 4:40 p.m. eastern daylight time on Saturday, May 7, 2016, a 2015 Tesla Model S, traveling eastbound on US Highway 27A (US-27A), west of Williston, Florida, struck and passed beneath a 2014 Freightliner Cascadia truck-tractor in combination with a 53-foot semitrailer. At the time of the collision, the combination vehicle was making a left turn from westbound US-27A across the two eastbound travel lanes onto NE 140th Court, a local paved road. As a result of the initial impact, the battery disengaged from the electric motors powering the car. After exiting from underneath the semitrailer, the car coasted at a shallow angle off the right side of the roadway, traveled approximately 297 feet, and then collided with a utility pole. The car broke the pole and traveled an additional 50 feet, during which it rotated counterclockwise and came to rest perpendicular to the highway in the front yard of a private residence. The 40-year-old male driver and sole occupant of the Tesla died as a result of the crash.</span><br /><span>                                                     </span><br /><span>US-27A is a four-lane highway with a posted speed limit of 65 mph. A 75-foot-wide median separates the two eastbound lanes from the two westbound lanes. Additionally, at the uncontrolled intersection with NE 140th Court, both eastbound and westbound lanes incorporate left turn lanes, allowing for a median opening of about 132 feet. At the time of the crash, it was daylight with clear and dry weather conditions.</span></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span>The combination vehicle - operated by Okemah Express, LLC - was transporting blueberries to a local produce farm. The Tesla struck the right side of the semitrailer, approximately 23 feet forward from the end of the trailer. Damage from the collision was consistent with a 90 degree angle of impact. Only minor damage above the height of the car was found on the semitrailer side panels, and the undercarriage of the trailer also showed only minor collision damage.</span><br /><br /><span>Tesla system performance data downloaded from the car indicated that vehicle speed just prior to impact was 74 mph. System performance data also revealed that the driver was operating the car using the advanced driver assistance features Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer lane keeping assistance. The car was also equipped with automatic emergency braking that is designed to automatically apply the brakes to reduce the severity of or assist in avoiding frontal collisions.</span><br /><span> </span><br /><span>As a result of the crash, the rear hatch frame separated and folded back over the crushed rear window. Other than the roof structure-and the front bumper components that engaged the pole-the main body of the car was generally intact.</span><br /><br /><span>Using three-dimensional laser scanning technology, NTSB investigators documented the crash location, the damaged semitrailer, and the damaged car. The Tesla was equipped with multiple electronic systems capable of recording and transmitting vehicle performance data. NTSB investigators will continue to collect and analyze these data, and use it along with other information collected during the investigation in evaluating the crash events.   </span></span><span><br /><span></span></span></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span>A</span></span><span><span>ll aspects of the crash remain under investigation. The Florida Highway Patrol and Tesla Motors are parties to the ongoing investigation.</span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/50-cent-debt-bankruptcy-court-creditors-2016-7">50 Cent will pay $23.4 million to creditors over the next 5 years -&#xa0;here's how he made and lost millions</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VlbnI2djrZXIh9tIkLc68cC984sL8GSb" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'VlbnI2djrZXIh9tIkLc68cC984sL8GSb',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

You Searched For "Freightliner" and got 11 results

Daimler and Volvo are making India their export hub

BI India Bureau

Electrifying trucking will mean sacrificing critical weight for heavy batteries, eating into already-slim margins

Bianca Giacobone

Electric semi-trucks are ready to be deployed, but there aren't near enough plugs to charge them

Bianca Giacobone

Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz and other automotive brands, is shutting down production in Europe as the coronavirus outbreak rages

Matthew DeBord

Daimler just unveiled an electric truck to take on Tesla's Semi

Mark Matousek

Mercedes' parent company is building a truck that will rival Tesla - and an exec says Elon Musk isn't a threat

Danielle Muoio

The Audi RS7 Performance is a vicious six-figure supercar wrapped in a luxury sedan

Bryan Logan

The Audi RS7 Performance is a vicious $152,000 supercar wrapped in a luxury sedan

Bryan Logan

Daimler just unveiled an electric heavy-duty truck concept that could rival Tesla's semi

Danielle Muoio

Smugglers continue to use food to hide drug shipments - this time it's tortillas

Christopher Woody

Federal government: car in fatal Tesla crash was speeding while using Autopilot

Benjamin Zhang