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Daimler Trucks is trying to gain a foothold in the nascent electric-truck market with short-range haulers that can make New York City’s clogged streets cleaner and quieter.

In a musical fantasy for Daimler AG’s Smart brand, performers at the Frankfurt motor show this week literally sang out the virtues of an autonomous two-seater, with the spectacle suggesting there’s more fiction than fact in robo-cars.

Facing a future in which private car ownership may fade, Daimler is ramping up efforts to create new products and services — even business models.

Daimler AG reported higher revenue and flat profits during the second quarter, with a strong performance from its Mercedes-Benz car division but sputtering results from the global truck unit.

Daimler AG, battered by allegations it colluded with other German carmakers for decades, is studying a legal separation of its businesses, including cars, trucks, vans and financial services, in a move that could pave the way for future spinoffs

Less than a decade ago, Portland, Ore.-based Freightliner appeared to have one foot out the door. The storied maker of big rigs changed its name to Daimler Trucks North America, then announced it would move hundreds of headquarters jobs to North Carolina.

First-quarter business rose and profits doubled for German manufacturer Daimler AG, but new truck sales were generally not part of the equation, and especially not in North America, the company reported April 26.