Chapter 192: Two Types of Trucks
When Arthur saw Benz and Diesel again, he noticed that they hadn't lost themselves due to their newfound wealth. On the contrary, they had become even more passionate about their respective industries and research work.
It should be noted that both Diesel and Benz each owned 10% of the engine and automobile factories respectively. At present, the automobile factory was the most profitable enterprise under Arthur's royal consortium, with annual revenue of at least fifteen million pounds, and it was expected to grow with the expansion of the market.
Benz owned 10% of the automobile factory, which, although not a large share, still earned him over a million pounds annually. This made him a millionaire in the early 20th century! To put it in perspective, New Zealand's total fiscal income in 1903 was only one and a half million pounds, which was nearly equivalent to Benz's pre-tax income.
Benz thought: What does it mean to be "wealthy enough to rival a country"? This is what being wealthy enough to rival a country means!
While Diesel's engine factory wasn't quite as extravagant, it still brought in over one hundred thousand pounds in income annually. From a strategic standpoint, Diesel's engine factory was even more important than Benz's automobile factory. Its contribution to Australia's overall development was far more significant than the small automobile factory.
After all, engines were required for almost all large machines—military ships, airplanes, cars, tanks, and even future self-propelled artillery and various civilian machinery all depended on engines of various types.
When Benz and Diesel saw Arthur, they were both happy. Their decision to move from Germany to Australia was not just due to the large research funds offered by Arthur, but also because they were seeking a more stable research environment for further breakthroughs in their respective fields.
Now, both Benz and Diesel had achieved great success in their industries. Benz One had successfully been sold worldwide, making it one of the most profitable enterprises in the world, while Diesel's engine lab had successfully developed various models of diesel and gasoline engines, greatly contributing to the development of cars, trucks, and airplanes.
It could be said that the advanced performance of Benz One was not only a result of Benz's painstaking research but also greatly benefited from the engines developed by Diesel's lab.
"Your Highness!" Both of them bowed respectfully to Arthur.
"It's been a while, Mr. Benz, Mr. Diesel. You two are the greatest contributors to the success of Benz One's sales. Have you received the checks from the Royal Bank? This is the dividend from the automobile and engine factories and is the best reward for you," Arthur said with a smile.
Arthur had never been stingy with his benefactors. Moreover, since these two had helped him earn twenty million pounds, a small reward was nothing in comparison.
"We have received it, Your Highness! Thank you!" The two men showed signs of excitement and gratitude as they spoke.
Compared to their earlier days as entrepreneurs, they preferred their current roles as research experts and heads of departments working for Arthur.
At least they didn't need to worry about management issues, only focusing on their research while also earning substantial profits.
Looking back at their previous experiences when they were overwhelmed with debts from their own failing businesses, it was easy to understand their choice now.
The checks they received could be exchanged freely for either pounds or Australian dollars. Although they spent most of their time in Australia, even receiving Australian dollars wouldn't have been an issue. However, Arthur allowed them to make their own decision, as it was a reward, and forcing them to exchange for Australian dollars might be somewhat improper.
After discussing the sales and profits of Benz One, the topic returned to the main purpose of Arthur's visit to the automobile factory.
"Mr. Benz, you mentioned the trucks last time. Do we have a prototype now, and has it been tested?" Arthur inquired.
Trucks weren't exactly high-tech; compared to ordinary cars, they simply reduced the number of passengers and added a cargo compartment behind the vehicle.
Large trucks also used a lot of components, and creating a finished product wasn't something that could be done overnight. The type of engine and the specific design of the truck required extensive testing before arriving at the most suitable ideas.
But since Benz had informed Arthur, it meant that the design had been settled, and a prototype that could withstand testing had already been produced.
"We have conducted several rounds of small-scale tests, Your Highness. The truck is parked in our warehouse. Please follow me," Benz explained with a smile.
Benz's automobile factory had become one of the world's most profitable enterprises. The main factory in Australia had undergone multiple expansions, and even the factory's warehouse occupied a vast area.
Although it was officially an automobile factory, it also handled research, design, testing, production, and maintenance of cars. Each of these functions had relatively independent workshops and spaces, which made Benz's automobile factory the largest enterprise in Australia, not just in terms of land area but also in terms of the number of workers and, most importantly, its ability to make profits.
Due to the enormous size of the factory, this time they didn't walk to the warehouse but drove there by car.
Of course, Benz's factory had no shortage of cars, whether it was the armored vehicles with special glass for the aristocrats and capitalists or the regular Benz One cars that were available for the public.
Compared to the regular Benz One, the armored cars with steel plates and special glass were called Benz Ones and were specifically designed for the world's aristocrats and capitalists.
These cars could even withstand long-range handgun shots and were also quite resistant to close-range handgun fire. As long as the bullets didn't hit vital areas or come from high-powered weapons like machine guns or small cannons, the passengers inside would be safe.
Currently, weapon development wasn't very advanced, and high-powered weapons were difficult to hide. As a result, assassinations still mostly involved handguns or short guns, which didn't have much power.
Such handguns, though capable of penetrating the armor of Benz Ones at close range, were mostly rendered ineffective by the vehicle's armor. As long as the bullets didn't hit vital spots, the injuries would be non-fatal.
In this era, where guns weren't prohibited and the exploitation of people by capitalists was severe, assassinations were still quite common. Political tensions made such incidents unavoidable, as seen with the former Russian heir, Tsar Nicholas II, who had nearly lost his life in an assassination attempt in the island nation.
This led to the popularity of these specially customized vehicles among aristocrats and capitalists who valued their lives and feared potential assassinations.
While Benz Ones were sold at a premium price of over 250 pounds each, they were still highly sought after by aristocrats and capitalists who cherished their lives.
For Arthur, however, these vehicles were more of a gift to other nobles. He had already gifted over twenty cars to major European nobles, including the British and German royal families.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the rear warehouse of Benz's factory.
This warehouse connected to the factory's laboratories and research rooms, and it only housed experimental products from the factory's new designs, not completed finished cars.
Currently, the warehouse was neatly filled with ten large trucks.
Of course, these ten trucks weren't identical. They could be divided into two types just by size.
Arthur turned his attention to Benz, who immediately understood and smiled, explaining, "Your Highness, please take a look. These are the two experimental products we created after multiple designs, experiments, and improvements based on your suggestions."
Saying that, Benz walked toward the slightly smaller truck and continued, "The smaller truck you see here uses the same gasoline engine as our cars. Its advantages are low noise, minimal exhaust, and it is suitable for urban transportation."
"But it also has some obvious drawbacks. Since it uses a gasoline engine, its power isn't as strong as a diesel engine. Currently, the maximum load of this small truck is about 0.8 tons, with a maximum speed of 40 km/h and a range of about 300 kilometers," Benz explained with a somewhat helpless expression.
Gasoline engines and diesel engines each have their advantages and disadvantages. The small truck, benefiting from the advantages of the gasoline engine, naturally also inherited some of its shortcomings.
However, this type of truck, with its low emissions and noise, is more suitable for use in cities, as it doesn't impact the urban environment as much and fits the characteristic of having a large population in cities.
After all, in urban areas, even with wide roads, oversized trucks are not ideal for regular use.
"On the other side, this large truck uses a more powerful diesel engine and has a larger cargo compartment. This large truck's maximum load is 1.5 tons, the maximum speed is 35 km/h, and it has a maximum range of 300 kilometers, which should more than meet Your Highness's expectations for a cargo truck," Benz said, looking at the slightly larger truck.
(End of Chapter)
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