Picture: Mercedes-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX beats its own efficiency record by driving a 1,202km summer road trip on a single battery charge. The record-breaking journey started in Stuttgart and ended in Silverstone in the UK.
The company negotiated an Autobahn closure, and demanded cross-country diversion near Stuttgart to complete the journey. The VISION EQXX then crossed the French border near Strasbourg, and continued onto Calais, where it boarded the Eurotunnel.
Once it arrived in the UK, it continued onto the M25 around London, then it stopped off at Mercedes Benz Grand Prix in Brackley. It was greeted by Formula 1 and Formula E experts who helped develop its advanced drivetrain.
Once it arrived at Silverstone, Mercedes-EQ Formula E driver Nyck de Vries, was there to take the test vehicle on a hard drive, reaching up to 140km/h, completing 11 laps, using the last of the cars charge on the pit lane.
The VISION EQXX’s journey was a chance for Mercedes-Benz to showcase the effectiveness of their electric efficiency technologies, and they did not disappoint. The car has a thermal management system that can achieve an average consumption of 8.3kWh/100 km in heavy traffic and summer temperatures.
“The journey continues-even further even more efficient! Yet again, the vision EQXX has proven that it can easily cover more than 1,000km on a single battery charge, this time faced with a whole different set of real-world conditions. As Mercedes-Benz strives to go all electric by 2030 wherever market conditions allow, it is important to show to the whole world what can be achieved in real terms through a combination of cutting-edge technology, teamwork and determination.” says Markus Schafer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group Chief Technology Officer responsible for Development and Procurement.
The VISION EQXX proves real-world capability across a range of conditions. The main challenges of this trip were said to be the summer temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius, paired with increased traffic density around Stuttgart and in the southeast of England. However, the cars innovative thermal management system carried it through.
The Goodwood Festival of speed was next to see the VISION EQXX in action, as it joined the number of Mercedes icons of the past and future as it takes its turn on the famous hill climb.
The VISION EQXX now has two incredible 1,000km+ road trips under its belt, and Mercedes believes that it has rightly earned its title as the most efficient Mercedes ever built. The work continues, however, as there will be developments of many VISION EQXX technologies in future series-production vehicles.