A prototype electric Mercedes-Benz has covered more than 1,000 kilometres on a single charge, with a battery that is comparable in capacity to current models.
The Vision EQXX “contains technology for the first time that will be mass-produced in two to three years,” said Markus Schäfer, head of R&D at the German automaker.
The Vision EQXX has covered a distance of 1,008 kilometres from the Mercedes research centre in Sindelfingen (South Germany) to Cassis on the French Côte d’Azur. After almost twelve hours, the car still had a range of about 140 kilometres.
The prototype was equipped with a battery of about 100-kilowatt hours (kWh) and consumed an average of only 8.7 kWh per 100 kilometres. That is less than half of the comparable current models. The test shows that an output of ‘close to 10 kWh soon is absolutely realistic, even for a production car’, according to Schäfer.
Several factors contribute to the success of the electric prototype: an aerodynamic profile, improved braking energy recovery, a lighter battery, solar panels on the roof to provide power for the on-board systems, lighter materials and a transmission system with very little energy loss. According to Schäfer, the same car with the most efficient combustion engine would have consumed at least three to four litres of fuel per 100 kilometres.
Mercedes-Benz aims to adopt the new technology on a large scale by 2024. The electric EQS S-Class, the group’s current electric luxury horse with a price tag of more than 100,000 euros, consumes between 16 and 17 kWh per 100 kilometres. On paper, because in real circumstances, that is often more. The range is 780 km according to the WLTP standard.
