Mercedes-Benz and Grunner show the autonomous Arocs 10×4

By Alzira Rodrigues | 5/2/23 | Translated by Jorge Meditsch

Mercedes-Benz’s main novelty presented at the Agrishow, in Ribeirão Preto, SP, is the Arocs 4851 10×4, which can haul up to 30 tons and has level 2 automation. The prototype is shown at the stand of Grunner, an automation company that has been working with the manufacturer for five years and is a partner in this new project.

“The country always asks us for new solutions to improve efficiency and productivity. We came to Agrishow once more to present an innovation in intelligent machines with Grunner”, said Roberto Leoncini, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil Trucks and Buses’ sales and market vice president.

Denis Arroyo, CEO of Grunner, tells that, despite still being a prototype, there is already a waiting line from the sugarcane sector to buy the Arocs 10×4. The estimated price of the truck should be from R$ 3 million to R$ 3.5 million.

Besides this novelty, the two companies showed at Latin America’s agribusiness technology fair models already consolidated built on the Axor 3131 platform, such as the ATR (for transshipment operations in sugarcane harvest), ASP (liquid fertilizer and vinasse application) and ADS (solids distribution).

The model operated 24 hours a day with the harvesters. “In 2023, we will reach more than one thousand units of the 3131 with autonomous drive in operation, especially in sugarcane harvest transshipment”, informed Leoncini. He emphasized the agribusiness importance for Brazil, mentioning the estimated 312 million tons production record.

Marcos Andrade, Mercedes-Benz’s senior marketing manager, presented the agribusiness model lineup in an event promoted by the manufacturer on Monday, 5/1. Among them are the Acello A1017 with roughness package, the Actros 2653 6×4 with two cabin versions for different applications and the Arocs 6×4.

Two-year development

The development of the Arocs 4851 involved two years of incursions by Grunner in the grain producer regions in Southwest Goiás and Mato Grosso and the participation of producers who pointed out their main day-to-day needs.

“We propose to know the market by presenting the project to our customers, who helped us to design this application on the ADS, which is an already existent smart machine, but is now migrating into a new market’, explained Arroyo, remembering the product can be used in other cultures beside sugarcane, such as soybean.