Mercedes has plans for a new electric car that can go for a claimed 1,000km on one charge of its batteries. The prototype uses 'pioneering body castings and sophisticated materials' and is due to begin on-road testing next year. An early glimpse of the car reveals a distinctive design with intakes on the top of the bonnet.
All-electric from 2025 onwards
Just this past week, Mercedes has confirmed that from 2025 onwards, it will only introduce all-new models that are also all-electric, and is developing three new electric-centric platforms to support this new EV assault.
The EQXX previews both some of the styling of these new models and much of the technology. The car's impressive one-charge range is not just down to having a massive battery - Mercedes says that just filling it with extra capacity would be reductive, and bad for the car's weight. Instead, this is all about efficiency.
Could the Vision EQXX be the most efficient EV of all?
The Vision EQXX is reputed to beat the EQS's coefficient of drag (cd) of just 0.20 - already the most aerodynamically efficient production car. It will also have next-generation lithium-ion batteries, which Mercedes has co-developed with battery experts SilaNano. These new batteries will include silicon-carbon composite in the anode. "This will allow for unprecedented range and even shorter charging times," said Mercedes in a statement.
Other efficiency measures will see the EQXX, in theory at any rate, hit "single-digit figure for kWh per 100 kilometres at normal highway driving speeds" according to Mercedes' engineers. To put that in context, Merc's new EQA electric crossover averages around 18kWh per 100km on long runs, which is generally considered to be quite efficient right now.
Inspiration from the Mercedes-AMG F1 team
Markus Schafer, head of Mercedes's Research and Development department, said at an event to introduce the EQXX: "In terms of aerodynamics this project aims at going even beyond what's been achieved with the EQS, already the world's lowest Cd series production car ever. And we are also working on increasing the energy density by an additional 20 per cent at the cell level compared to the EQS.
"Today, we're talking about the future of Mercedes-Benz. And naturally, it's pretty much all about numbers, facts and data. But we all know the real magic happens when impressive technological achievements become reality in a car. That's why I'm very proud to give you a preview of our Vision EQXX. Back in 2020, we initiated an exciting next step in electric vehicle development and put together a cross-functional, multi-disciplinary team of experts supported by specialists from the Mercedes-AMG F1 team.
"We instructed them to aim beyond 1,000 km on one charge. But not by making the battery bigger. Anybody could do that. No, they're working with a normal sized battery, destined for series production in a forthcoming Mercedes compact car. Efficiency is the new currency. Our eDrive experts are making rapid gains in efficiency and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in terms of eMotor, inverter, battery design, packaging and thermal management. They're chasing marginal gains that compound to substantial increases in range. Our goal is to integrate these new technologies in future Mercedes road cars."