The Merlo Group enters the light commercial vehicles sector. From the Cuneo headquarters comes the announcement of the new MeVe (Merlo Vehicles) division and, in a world premiere at the IAA Transportation in Hannover, the first prototypes of ALLDO: a modular “smart truck,” designed and produced in Italy, conceived more as a work tool than a simple van. It is the first step of a project still evolving. At the fair, the company is mainly looking for interaction with operators and professionals: field feedback before the next development phases.
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Merlo is known for telescopic handlers and operating machines. With MeVe, it expands its industrial perimeter towards road mobility, focusing on last-mile logistics, company fleets, and urban services: areas where the prestige of the vehicle matters less and the ability to cut downtime, driver fatigue, and delivery errors matters more.
The strategy
The name ALLDO plays on the assonance with Italian proper names: the vehicle as an “operational assistant.” This is how President Paolo Merlo explains it: «This project combines the experience of the Merlo Group with the technological skills of our partners. MeVe is the new entity of the Group dedicated to sustainable mobility. With our modular zero-emission vehicle, flexible and versatile, we aim to redefine the future of work vehicles. With MeVe and ALLDO, aesthetics and functionality merge to offer a unique work experience».
Advanced cabin, threshold at 328 mm
The technical heart is the “All Forward” layout: cabin positioned beyond the front axle, so the entire wheelbase becomes loading space. Width contained within 1,750 mm and turning radius of 5.85 meters — further reducible with rear steering wheels — for tight turns, historic centers, and low emission zones.
The cabin, from one to three seats, is calibrated for a declared target of over 200 stops per day. The threshold is 328 mm from the ground: according to Merlo, only three movements are needed (climb, rotate, sit) compared to eight in conventional vehicles. The “Clear-Walk” cabin allows an upright posture; passenger seats fold and free the aisle to exit from both sides. Digital mirrors replace traditional ones, an automatic sliding door that does not protrude and allows advancing with the door open up to 9 km/h: curbside stops without wasting time.
“C” reinforced chassis, double wishbone independent suspension in front and semi-trail behind, rear pneumatic option to adjust the loading floor height. The promise is dynamics closer to a car than a classic van, both empty and fully loaded.
Two electric souls and 14 configurations
Two powertrains. Full electric with batteries of 55, 65, or 110 kWh and declared range between 250 and 500 km. Or REEV: always electric traction, with a thermal engine working only as a generator and a tank of about 40 liters, to reach up to 1,000 km. Four wheelbases (from 2,600 to 4,325 mm) and three weight classes: N1 at 3.5 t, N2 at 4.2 t — drivable with a B license according to European rules for electrics, with 1,100 kg payload — and N2 Heavy Duty up to 7.5 t. Rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. On the same platform, MeVe lists 14 configurations: delivery, curtain side, fixed box, tipper, short and long vans, camper, compactor, three bus versions, and three high-volume “Beluga” versions, up to double axle for heavy missions.
The door that seeks the package
The smartest piece is the Smart Delivery Locker patent. Parcels are on sliding drawers, tracked by onboard scanners. When stopped, the system selects the package and presents it to a side door with laser guidance. The idea is to remove manual searching in the compartment and reduce errors. Onboard also electronic architecture with cybersecurity requirements, haptic interface, smartphone mirroring, and readiness for supervised autonomous maneuvers in hubs: approach, dock coupling, washing.vb
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