A new Italian commercial vehicle brand making its debut at IAA in Hannover has been created by the Merlo Group, known for its telescopic handlers for agriculture and construction and for the urban waste collection vehicles produced by its subsidiary Tecnoindustrie. The idea originated with founder Amilcare Merlo, who recently died, and the company decided to carry it forward. The division’s first project is the Alldo, an electric platform designed and manufactured in Italy by the new MeVe division.
The vehicle features a cab-forward architecture, with the cab positioned entirely ahead of the front axle, a solution that makes the full wheelbase available for the load compartment while keeping the vehicle’s overall dimensions compact. It is just 1,750 mm wide and has a turning radius of 5.85 metres, which can be reduced further with optional rear-wheel steering, improving manoeuvrability in confined urban spaces. The reinforced C-section chassis has independent double-wishbone suspension at the front and semi-trailing-arm suspension at the rear, an unusual technical solution for a work vehicle designed to deliver handling characteristics closer to those of a passenger car. Rear air suspension is also available, allowing the height of the load floor to be adjusted to different loading bays.
The cab, known as Clear-Walk, gives the driver a more upright seating position and a lower entry point, with a step height of 328 mm above the ground and an access arrangement that reduces the process of getting on board to three movements. The configuration offers between one and three seats, with either an advanced central driving position or the traditional European layout. Folding passenger seats create a central walkway that makes it easier to exit from either side, while automatically opening sliding doors require no lateral clearance and allow the vehicle to pull up close to the kerb.
Alldo has been designed for electric propulsion in two configurations. The fully electric version, with modular 55, 65 or 110 kWh batteries, has a claimed range of between 250 and 500 kilometres, while the REEV variant extends the total range to as much as 1,000 km by combining the battery with an internal combustion engine used as a generator and a fuel tank of around 40 litres. The electrification package also includes the Smart Delivery Locker, a solution patented by MeVe that organises the load compartment using sliding internal drawer units tracked by onboard scanners. The system identifies the required parcel and brings it to the side door, reducing search times during the numerous stops involved in last-mile distribution.
Modularity is another key feature of the platform. Alldo is available with four wheelbases, ranging from 2,600 to 4,325 mm, and in three weight classes: N1 at 3.5 tonnes, N2 at 4.2 tonnes and N2 Heavy Duty at up to 7.5 tonnes. Fourteen configurable versions are planned, ranging from dropside and tipper bodies to curtainsiders and vans, as well as refuse compactors, buses, motorhomes and high-volume Beluga body configurations. The prototypes on display in Hannover are part of a project that is still under development. Merlo will also use them to gather feedback from operators ahead of the range’s next stage of industrial development.
Massimiliano Barberis
