Instant Alert: Mercedes is pouring $562 million into delivery van drones — here's a glimpse of what's to come

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Mercedes is pouring $562 million into delivery van drones — here's a glimpse of what's to come by Danielle Muoio on Mar 2, 2017, 9:50 AM Advertisement Mercedes-Benz is getting into package deliveries. In September, the Mercedes announced a "multimillion" investment in drone startup Matternet, the creator of an autonomous drone. The Wall Street Journal reported that the investment totals €500 million ($562 million) over the next 5 years. Mercedes unveiled a self-driving van concept to showcase its vision for a futuristic drone delivery service. The German automaker isn't the only one exploring the drone delivery van service — UPS recently unveiled a hybrid truck with a drone nest built into the roof. The nest would house a Workhorse HorseFly autonomous drone that could carry 10 pounds worth of packages. Scroll down for Mercedes' package delivery vision: SEE ALSO: This self-driving bus could radically change public transportation Meet the Mercedes Vision Van: an all-electric van with a range up to 168 miles. The trunk is capable of supporting a "one-shot loading" system to get packages in the trunk and out to customers faster. The interior of the van has a fully automated cargo space. It features a mechanical shelving system that loads packages and knows where each package is going. The driver will get a notification when approaching a drop-off location for a package. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011