The new Mercedes Vision EQXX

April 18, 2022

Mercedes 1k range

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its long-range 'Vision EQXX' concept car, which covered over 1,000 km on a fully charged battery, the longest-ever distance attained by an EV on a single charge till date, in a direct challenge to Elon Musk's Tesla in the electric vehicle (EV) sector. According to the firm, the voyage from Germany to the south of France started in cold and rainy conditions. It was finished at regular highway speeds, including extensive fast-lane cruising at speeds of up to 140 km/h. "The battery's level of charge on arrival was approximately 15%, corresponding to a remaining range of approximately 140 km, and the average consumption was a record-breaking low of 8.7 kWh per 100 km," the business stated in a statement. The route profile - from the highway to mountain passes, including construction - as well as the weather circumstances presented the Vision EQXX with a number of challenges.

According to the business, the VISION EQXX's lightweight design idea is comprehensive, encompassing everything from the materials utilized to novel bionic structures that provide a favorable power-to-weight ratio.

The upper section of the battery is made of a sustainable carbon-fibre-sugar composite material, which is also used in Formula 1, and the rear floor is made using an aluminum casting method.

When compared to a normally made component, the unique design approach resulted in a weight savings of up to 20%.

The all-electric one-off Mercedes Vision EQXX concept departed its home in Sindelfingen, near Stuttgart, for the first ride on a public road on Tuesday, April 5. It then drove through into the Swiss Alps and Northern Italy without making a single charging stop before arriving in Cassis on the Côte d'Azur little over 12 hours later. For those whose first name isn't Google (second name Maps), that translates to a total trip distance of 1,008km – or 626 miles – on a single charge. And the best part? When it arrived on the French coast, the EQXX still had 140km (87 miles) of range left in its batteries. That is quite impressive.

Now for a quick rundown of the EQXX. Mercedes wanted to show itself and the rest of the world that it could construct a true, ultra-long-range EV. It aimed for low drag and light weight, and it succeeded with a kerb weight of 1,755kg and a drag coefficient of 0.17. Take a look at the teardrop shape, the swoopy long tail, and the cleanly cropped tail. There's also a double rear diffuser that extends automatically when the car speeds up, further smoothing down the airflow surrounding the vehicle.

 

"The EVA is Mercedes' most efficient vehicle ever produced." The technical initiative that underpins it is a defining moment in the evolution of electric vehicles. It supports our strategic goal of being the market leader in electric mobility," stated Ola Kallenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.

According to the automaker, passive cooling is sufficient during the voyage because the electric powertrain generates little waste heat due to its excellent efficiency.

The aerodynamically efficient solution extends the range by 20 kilometers. "The VISION EQXX has unambiguously demonstrated the real-world potential of exceptional efficiency for electric vehicles," the company stated.

The Mercedes-Benz EV will face stiff competition from other electric luxury sedan leaders such as the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-tron GT, and the impending Tesla Roadster.

The company intends to go entirely electric by 2030, with plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles accounting for half of its global sales by 2025. Through the end of the year, Mercedes' portfolio will include electrified versions of its E-Class and B-Class vehicles.

#Mercedes-Benz plans to develop electric cars that use as little as 10 kilowatt-hours of energy per 100 km (62 miles), according to the company's chief technology officer (CTO), which is one-third more efficient than the current estimate for electric vehicles. CTO Markus Schaefer said the efficient design was critical to maximizing an electric car's range as the manufacturer hailed the successful road test of its EQXX prototype vehicle over more than 1,000 km from Sindelfingen in Germany to the Cote d'Azur on a single full charge.

"First, we optimize efficiency, and then we'll see how many battery modules we put in the car," Schaefer said during a media conference, emphasizing that customers should really be able to choose the battery performance based on their demands.

The drive included cold and rainy conditions on conventional and fast-lane highways, with speeds reaching 140 kmph on the autobahn in Germany. The VISION EQXX arrived at the final location with a 15% remaining charge and a range of around 140 kilometers. As a result, the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX achieved a record-breaking average consumption of 8.7 kWh per 100 km.

 Carmakers ranging from Mercedes-Benz to Tesla to China's Nio are competing to build longer-range vehicles that alleviate consumer concerns about the absence of ubiquitous charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

 Mercedes debuted its Vision EQXX prototype in January, boasting a 1,000-kilometer range and a battery half the size of its premium EQS model, and promising that a few of the car's components will make their way into series vehicles in 2-3 years.

The low drag coefficient of 0.17 contributes to the VISION EQXX having the lowest value ever for a road-legal vehicle. In addition, at 60 km/h, a proactive rear diffuser deploys automatically, improving air flow and reducing aerodynamic drag. Furthermore, the efficiency is derived from Bridgestone tyres' incredibly low rolling resistance of 4.7. The VISION EQXX also has a fixed solar roof, which increases the range by 2%, adding 25 kilometers to the 1,000-kilometer trip.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the car used 8.7 kilowatt hours of energy per 100 km on its 11-and-a-half hour travel to France, which is roughly twice as effective as Mercedes vehicles on the market and Tesla's longest-range vehicle, the Model S 60.

However, for such a low-drag concept, it does not appear to be all that radical. There are no inconvenient wheel arch covers, the wing mirrors are old-school units rather than cameras, the back track is only 50mm smaller than the front, and, most importantly, there are four doors and four seats. 

According to automobile comparison website carwow, Mercedes' EQS has the highest range on the marketplace as of yet, with 768 km, followed by Tesla's Model S Long Range, which has a range of up to 652 km. "There will be a further climb for some time before a drop, which will come once charging infrastructure is as widely available as gas stations," Schaefer said, declining to say what range Mercedes was aiming for in future models. "There will be a further ascent for some time before there is a drop, which also will come after charging infrastructure is as commonly accessible as gas stations," Schaefer said, declining to reveal how much range Mercedes aims for in future models”.

Find the auto partsused parts and buy vehicles you need at Autotek.ae, the leading online marketplace for the automotive industry.