The Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX has travelled the roads of Europe to test range and efficiency. The car travelled from Sindelfingen across the Swiss Alps and Northern Italy, to its destination of Cassis on the Côte d'Azur. The vehicle covered more than 1,000 km in everyday traffic on a single battery charge. The long-distance drive was completed with the charging socket sealed and accompanied by an independent expert from certification body TÜV Süd.
The journey started in cold and rainy conditions. It was undertaken at regular road speeds, including prolonged fast-lane cruising at up to 140 km/h on the German autobahn and near the speed limit elsewhere. The battery's state of charge on arrival was around 15 percent, amounting to a remaining range of around 140 kilometres, and the average consumption was a record-breaking low of 8.7 kWh per 100 kilometres.
"We did it! Powering through more than 1,000 kilometres with ease on a single battery charge and a consumption of only 8.7 kWh/100 km in real-world traffic conditions. The VISION EQXX is the most efficient Mercedes ever built. The technology programme behind it marks a milestone in the development of electric vehicles. It underpins our strategic aim to 'Lead in Electric'."
says Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
To show what is electrically "feasible", the research vehicle completed a one-day road trip across several European borders: from Germany to Switzerland, on to Italy, past Milan and finally to its destination, the port town of Cassis near Marseille in the South of France.
The route profile – from the motorway to mountain passes, including roadworks – and the weather conditions presented the VISION EQXX with many challenges. Departing from the Sindelfingen R&D centre near Stuttgart in cold conditions, temperatures from start to finish ranged from 3 to 18 degrees Celsius. There was light rain north of the Alps, and further south, a gentle headwind blew in the sunshine. The various sections of the route helped document the effect of the many efficiency measures. After 11 hours and 32 minutes of driving time, it ended its 1,008-kilometre road trip with a remaining range of around 140 kilometres.
"With our successful road trip to the South of France, we've shown that efficiency is the new currency. And this success also clearly speaks for our new collaborative development process, incorporating many learnings from the Mercedes-AMG F1 team and its cutting-edge expertise in electric powertrains. The VISION EQXX is the result of a comprehensive programme that provides a blueprint for the future of automotive engineering. Many of the innovative developments are already being integrated into production, some of them in the next generation of modular architecture for compact and midsize Mercedes‑Benz vehicles. And the journey continues. With the VISION EQXX, we will keep testing the limits of what's possible."
says Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer responsible for Development and Purchasing.
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