Earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Mercedes unveiled the Vision EQXX Concept, a car that it claimed would cover over 1,000 kilometres on a single charge of its battery pack. Now, the EQXX has proven the claims by going on a Euro trip from Germany to the south of France.
The EQXX started its journey in the German town of Sindelfingen, which is home to the Mercedes assembly factory that puts together the S-Class luxury sedan along with a research & development centre.
The journey ended just over 12 hours after a journey that took it through the Gothard tunnel to Milan before ending 1,008 kilometres later in the southern French town of Cassis.
Despite covering 1,008 kilometres, Mercedes claims the EQXX near 100kWh battery pack still had 15 per cent of charge left. Mercedes claims that with the remaining charge, the EQXX would have covered another 140 kilometres.
The journey saw the EQXX travel over motorways, and mountain passes with temperatures ranging between 3 and 18 degrees celsius. The EQXX achieved a maximum speed of 140km/h on the unrestricted autobahns after leaving Sindelfingen and averaged 87.4km/h over the entire 1,008-kilometre journey which saw the car on the move for 11 hours and 32 minutes along with a half an hour stop in Italy for a spot of lunch.
Over the multi-hour journey across Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France, the Mercedes Vision EQXX showed off its efficiency credentials. The concept Vision EQXX sedan consumed an average of 8.7kWh per 100 kilometres which is why by the time it ended its half a day journey it still had 140 kilometres of range left.
So just how does the concept EQXX achieve its rather insane efficiency figures? The EQXX manages it with the help of three important factors – lightweight, an ultrasmooth design that allows for an insane coefficient of drag figure of 0.17, and its extremely energy efficient battery pack aided by a cheeky solar panel roof.
The Mercedes Vision EQXX is quite lightweight when compared to other EVs currently on the road. Despite lugging around a near 100kWh battery pack the concept EQXX weighs in at just 1,755 kilogrammes (unladen).
Mercedes claims that the EQXX’s battery pack has an energy 200Wh/kg which the German carmaker claims allows the concept vehicle to carry the same sized battery pack as other electric vehicles in 50 per cent of the space while also weighing 30 per cent less. Other lightweight features include the aluminium brakes and the dedicated electric chassis with F1 subframe.
The Mercedes EQXX features a very unusual design which makes it look similar to some old school racers with its long rear overhang. The EQXX measures 4,977mm long, 1,870mm wide and 1,350mm tall.
The wheelbase of the EQS measures This low, sleek body features extremely smooth surfaces allowing the EV to cut through the air with ease. It beats the coefficient of drag figure of its EQS sibling by .03 with a figure of 0.17. This along with the extremely low rolling resistance tyres makes the EQXX one of the most efficient cars to cut through the air to date.
The final reason why the EQXX was able to achieve its extreme efficiency figures is the battery pack. The battery was developed by Mercedes engineers from the car and Formula 1 racing divisions.
The result is an extremely efficient battery pack that is also very energy-dense at the same time. Mercedes claims that the EQXX’s electric powertrain has an energy efficiency of 95 per cent which seems to be an insane figure when compared to best of ICE engines which have an efficiency figure of around 30 per cent.
Thoughts on the Mercedes EQXX’s 1000km Sojourn
The Mercedes EQXX shows us just how bright the future of EVs. While the road trip across a rather cold Europe at the start of the month was more of a demonstration of the EQXX’s efficiency figures, it was also a big middle finger to its former partner Tesla that currently dominates the electric vehicle market.
The Mercedes EQXX shows the world that the future doesn’t need to be dominated by overpowered vehicles that look like big chungus himself thanks to the massive batteries they lug around. If you really doubt what we just wrote, then please note, the EQXX’s motor produces only 201bhp.
Keyword: The Mercedes EQXX Just Did 1,000 Kilometres On A Single Charge - Here's How It Did That