Under the premise that mobility is a fundamental part of the economic and social development of a community, Mercedes-Benz Buses in Mexico is committed to innovation and the production of buses with environmentally friendly technologies, to promote sustainable mobility. This is demonstrated by the recent launch of the first electric unit with eO500 U chassis, 12 meters and low entry, which was unveiled in São Bernardo do Campo in August 2021, and is expected to be marketed throughout Latin America.
In this same sense and to contribute not only with the quality of life in cities, climate protection and air quality, but also with the technological development promoted by the Academy, the Three Pointed Star has donated an OH1518/ 47 valued at $40,000, to the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. This donation will be used so that students can learn everything related to the ecosystem of electromobility.
“We are excited and proud to be part of this project with which we can encourage the development of engineering and manufacturing capabilities around sustainable mobility technologies,” said Raúl García, Director of Operations of Mercedes-Benz Buses.
Additionally, the companies Questum Movilidad, Marcopolo and Grupo SENDA will collaborate with the students to design this project by donating the powertrain, bodywork and internal components, respectively. In the same way, expert operators will carry out driving tests, maintenance and collection of statistical data on the performance and performance of the unit.
The School of Engineering and Sciences of Tec de Monterrey will form transdisciplinary engineering work teams in which students, professors and researchers will participate, for the conceptualization, design and assembly of electrification components in the chassis and bodywork. The field tests and final tests, as well as the vehicle operation and maintenance plan, will be carried out in the spaces assigned by the donees. Also, it will create a Tec Mobility circuit, so that the end user can validate its operation.
“This donation will promote the TecNexus initiative that pays for the development of technological and sustainable solutions for the use of natural resources, specifically in the Energy avenue, to accelerate the training of talent, research and technological development focused on cleaner and more sustainable mobility. We are very happy with Mercedes-Benz Autobuses for strengthening our National Electromobility Laboratory to encourage our brightest minds of students and teachers, in the creation of technological solutions, from the classroom to the industry”, highlighted Manuel Zertuche, National Dean of the School of Engineering and Sciences from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies.
For his part, Dr. Mario Adrián Flores, Vice President of the Monterrey Region mentioned “We are at the right time to develop and test technologies created in the region, and our Tec District will be the Living Laboratory to validate and improve electric, connected and autonomous vehicles. We appreciate the interest and trust shown by Mercedes-Benz Autobuses and allies in this project in favor of sustainable mobility”.
Sofía Mendoza, an Automotive Design Engineering (IDA) student at the Monterrey Campus, expressed with emotion, “I am proud to be a protagonist, witness and student at Tec de Monterrey. This project has given me the opportunity to lead, as a Project Manager, mechanical design with scope in the technological, environmental, economic, social and educational fields. Our main objective is to reduce the emission of pollutants to achieve a cleaner air and environment. I observed that the students are capable of exceeding our expectations and self-limitations, to carry out a job of excellence and with a high impact on people’s daily lives.”
This collaboration has allowed, during the year 2021, to involve more than 20 professors, more than 200 students from each of the IDA, IME, IMA, IIS and IMT careers in projects of energy systems for vehicles, battery sizing, mechanical design and simulation, and power train. The donated chassis will allow implementing and support the concentrations in automotive engineering and cyber-physical systems of the academic programs of the Tec21 Educational Model, as well as the creation of knowledge in the postgraduate courses associated with Electromobility; benefiting about 1000 students.