Daimler Joins Matternet in Developing Vans Sporting Delivery Drones

Daimler AG DDAIY 1.14 % said on Wednesday it would join with U.S. startup Matternet to develop drones for its delivery vans and invest 500 million ( 562.7 million) over the next five years in designing electric, networked vans. Daimler, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars and trucks, acquired a minority stake in Menlo Park, Calif.-based Matternet as part of the partnership, a spokeswoman said. Daimler's overall investment in the initiative, called adVANce, will go to vehicle digitization, automation, robotics and mobility solutions technologies. "We are looking beyond the vehicle to the whole value chain and the entire environment of our clients," said van division chief Volker Mornhinweg. The goal is to turn vans into "intelligent, interconnected data centers," he said.