A Mercedes-Benz electric car has just travelled 746 miles on a single charge - and it highlights just what EVs might be capable of in the future.
The ‘VISION EQXX’ prototype made the 1,202 km, or 746 miles, road trip from Stuttgart in Germany to the Silverstone racetrack near Towcester, Northamptonshire.
That schlepp included blats on the autobahn and a negotiation of the busy M25 in ‘heavy traffic’.
And, perhaps even more astonishingly, the VISION EQXX also had enough juice in the tank to complete 11 fast laps of Silverstone once arriving before the battery eventually ran dry.
This eye-catching jaunt is thought to be a new record for an EV, with the VISION EQXX having managed a lesser 621 mile-long trip back in April this year.
The new 746 mile figure also eclipses a recent 441 mile journey by a Dutch-made Lightyear One electric car.
Mercedes-Benz’s Markus Schäfer says:
“The journey continues – even further, even more efficient! Yet again, the VISION EQXX has proven that it can easily cover more than 1,000 km 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 world what can be achieved in real terms through a combination of cutting-edge technology, teamwork and determination.”
Speaking about how the VISION EQXX was still raring to go once it arrived at Silverstone, a spokesperson for the German firm reveals how Formula-E racing driver got behind the wheel, and adds:
“The Dutchman, who races for the Mercedes-EQ Formula E team, opted not to go easy on the research vehicle, taking it up to its maximum speed limit of 140 km/h on the iconic British race track. Making the most of the occasion, he completed 11 laps, using the last of the charge on the pit lane.”
How has the VISION EQXX pulled-off such a feat? It’s all down to clever thermal management to keep the battery cool, according to Mercedes-Benz, that involves sophisticated aero-shutters, coolant valves and pumps.
The trip itself took 14 hours and 30 minutes of driving time. The air con was on for eight of those hours, but apparently had ‘minimal negative impact on overall energy consumption’.
In terms of efficiency, the VISION EQXX can travel 7.5 miles per kWh, or unit of electricity. To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model 3 can travel 4.4 miles per kWh. That’s a huge difference. And if you're still not quite sure on how this translates, read our handy guide on kWh and kW Explained.
The battery in the VISION EQXX is a large 100 kWh unit generating power of 241 hp.
Racing driver de Vries reckons the EQXX is a nice place to spend time, too.
He adds: “The VISION EQXX was a true pleasure to drive. I know what this team is capable of, and it was a real honour to drive such an amazing car on such a historic track.
“And I can tell you that the interior is definitely a lot more luxurious than the cockpit of a Formula E car.”
So, the big question remains - will the EQXX ever translate to a production car?
According to Mercedes-Benz, it just well might. They say the tech is a ‘completely realistic way forward for electric vehicle technology’.
When it comes to electric cars you can lease right now with the longest range, the Mercedes-Benz EQS has a range of up to 453 miles between charges.
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