Mercedes-Benz EV records 747 miles without recharging
Mercedes-Benz’s ultra-long-range electric car traveled 747 miles without stopping to charge, beating its previous record, the company said weekend.
The sleek Vision EQXX, drove from Stuttgart, Germany, to Silverstone in the UK. Earlier this year, Mercedes took the concept car on a 626-mile drive but estimated it could have gone considerably farther.
The Vision EQXX previews a future when, potentially, electric vehicles can travel such great distances that people won’t need to worry much about where to charge up. Today, range anxiety — the fear of running out of energy before making it to a charging station — ranks among the biggest concerns for existing and would-be electric-car owners.
With this latest trip, Mercedes-Benz handily beat every electric vehicle on sale today. Tesla’s longest-range vehicle, the Model S, can travel a bit over 400 miles per charge, The Environmental Protection Agency estimates. Lucid Motors, a new startup, sells a $169,000 sedan that’s rated to travel 520 miles between stops, making it the rangiest vehicle on the market.
Moreover, Mercedes said it had the air conditioner running for about eight hours of the 14.5-hour drive. That’s mighty impressive, given that A/C can be a big drain on an EV’s battery pack.
Mercedes doesn’t plan to actually sell the EQXX. Rather, it’s a hyper-efficient research vehicle the German carmaker built to test new technology and explore the limits of EV range.
To optimize efficiency, Mercedes made the EQXX as lightweight and aerodynamic as possible, as weight and air resistance are two of range’s biggest enemies. Hence the teardrop shape and swooping curves.
Mercedes also developed a new battery specifically for the EQXX. It’s 100 kWh, about the same capacity as what’s in the company’s EQS luxury sedan. But Mercedes managed to make the EQXX’s battery take up half as much room and weigh 30% less.
The world probably doesn’t need 750-mile electric cars as much as it needs better and more abundant EV chargers. Let’s face it: While a super-advanced vehicle might be able to drive for 14 hours without a break, we human beings can’t. Regardless, Mercedes has accomplished quite the feat.
