Mercedes-Benz unveils sporty, ultra-long-range Vision EQXX electric concept car

Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to take the title of longest-range electric vehicle with the unveiling of the Vision EQXX, a solar-powered concept car capable of exceeding 1,000 kilometers (648 miles) on a single charge.

That’s enough to get the Vision EQXX from New York City to Cincinnati, Berlin to Paris, or Beijing to Nanjing, on one charge. Which is impressive in contrast to other long-range electric vehicles currently on the road, such as the Lucid Air (520 miles) and the Tesla Model S Long Range Plus (402 miles). But unlike those vehicles, the Vision EQXX is just a concept without concrete production plans. (So ​​far.)

Mercedes, which has been teasing the car for several weeks, finally revealed it (almost) at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (Like most major companies, Mercedes has canceled plans to attend CES in person amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.)

With its sporty intent and sleek, futuristic design, the Vision EQXX will likely serve as the basis for a production car that could finish competing with other luxury EVs such as the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-tron GT and Tesla Roadster.

Unlike other Mercedes concepts, the Vision EQXX is supposed to be more firmly rooted in reality. The company says it based its range estimates on simulations of real-world traffic conditions, fueling claims that it will use energy at a rate of 10 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers, or more than 6 miles per kilowatt-hour. Translated into fossil fuel consumption terms, this is about the “golden figure” of 235 miles per gallon in the US, or one liter of gasoline per 100 kilometers.

To put this in perspective, Mercedes notes that 10 kWh is equivalent to using a clothes dryer or air conditioning unit for three hours or watching 50 hours of TV on a 50-inch LED screen.

But despite these simulations and estimates, Mercedes says the Vision EQXX’s superior range is “completely realistic” and that many of its technological advances will be incorporated into future production vehicles through Mercedes-Benz’s modular architecture.

Mercedes says it achieved this energy efficiency not by cramming a large battery under the car’s floor but by “pulling[ing] From all the stopping points in the propulsion system’s efficiency, energy density, aerodynamics, and lightweight design… the result is an efficiency masterpiece. “

Light weight is certainly one way to describe the car’s 1,750 kg (3,858 lb) gross, placing it more in the compact SUV category than a sports car. Most of that weight is likely to be found in the battery pack, which packs roughly 100 kWh of power but also registers 50 percent less volume and 30 percent less mass than the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan. The slippery teardrop shape aims to reduce aerodynamic drag, with Mercedes claiming a “standard” coefficient of 0.17 based on a 140 km/h wind tunnel test – an improvement over the 0.20 drag coefficient specified in the EQS.

reticle display

Of course, estimating the range is just that: an estimate. It will be up to the US Environmental Protection Agency, as well as to conduct Europe’s Worldwide Coordinated Light Vehicle Testing (WLTP), to independently certify any scope for electric vehicles. Most electric vehicles on the market today have a range of 200 to 300 miles, while some earlier models had a range less than that. The latest range of electric vehicles ranges from 250 to 300 miles.

Of course, the EV range is very subjective. Even the EPA’s rating system is only meant to provide a snapshot under the specific circumstances of the agency’s testing process. It usually excludes factors such as steep hill climbs and cold weather effects, which can wear down a car’s battery much faster than driving on flat surfaces or in warm weather.

The Vision EQXX will get some help from the 117 roof-mounted solar cells. Developed in collaboration with Europe’s largest solar energy research institute, the solar roof aims to compensate for the energy drain in a high voltage system while also increasing the range. According to Mercedes, the solar cells can add up to 25 km of range on long trips under ideal conditions in a single day.

For now, we have to take their word for it. Using solar cells to power an electric car is no small feat. There is a huge discrepancy between how much solar energy the best cells can capture and what is needed to make a two-ton vehicle move fast.

But Mercedes isn’t the only company trying to make it happen. Aptera — a California startup that crashed in the wake of the Great Recession — has recently been revived. German startup Sono Motors is also working on a solar-powered electric vehicle. Dutch startup Lightyear recently found a manufacturing partner to build its solar-powered electric vehicle, the Lightyear One.

The interior of the Vision EQXX features a massive 47.5-inch screen that spans the full width of the car, a nod to the company’s new Hyperscreen infotainment screen. But unlike the Hyperscreen, which is a combination of three separate displays housed within a 56-inch piece of tough glass, the Vision EQXX is a one-piece display that also features 8K resolution and high-end graphics.

Mercedes says it is working with a company called NAVIS Automotive Systems to develop the “first true 3D navigation system” on a screen of this size. This new navigation system will allow “smooth zoom and scroll functions from satellite view to a height of 10 meters in a three-dimensional representation of the city,” the company says.

Like most of its competitors, Mercedes is heading towards an all-electric future at full speed. The company says it will allocate 40 billion euros ($47 billion) to electrify its range by 2030, including electric versions of its Mercedes-Benz G-Class and AMG performance cars.

These announcements come at a time when most major countries are pressing to restrict the sale of internal combustion engine cars in the coming decades. The European Union, China and California have all said they will ban the sale of internal combustion engine cars by 2035.