On a Single Charge, Mercedes-Benz Goes 1,200 km

Mercedes-Benz’s VISION EQXX beats its own efficiency record in real-world driving conditions with a 1,200 km from Stuttgart, Germany to Silverstone, UK on a single battery charge. This performance follows VISION EQXX ‘s April 2022 trip from Stuttgart to Cassis, France (965 kilometers) on a single battery charge.

Mercedes-Benz’s engineers are performing a series of road trips to test the technology underpinning the VISION EQXX under different conditions. As well as proving the effectiveness of Mercedes-Benz electric efficiency technologies in a range of real-life traffic scenarios, the VISION EQXX’s long-distance journeys on public roads provide research and development professionals with data for the car’s continuing development program.

“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,” said Markus Schäfer, Mercedes-Benz’s chief technology officer. “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.”

According to Mercedes-Benz, on the trip to Silverstone, the VISION EQXX recorded an average consumption rate of 8.3 kWh per 100 km in the face of heavy traffic and summer temperatures. The earlier trip to Cassis recorded 8.7 kWh per 100 km. A kilowatt-hour, otherwise known as a kWh, is a measure of energy consumption.

Unlike the April trip to Cassis which had lower temperatures and demanding energy use through the Alps, the trip to Silverstone had summer temperatures of up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, paired with increased traffic around Stuttgart and London. Nevertheless, the VISION EQXX kept a cool head the whole way thanks to its innovative thermal management system.

The efficiency of the VISION EQXX’s electric drive unit means it generates only minimal waste heat. This helps keep the thermal management system – a combination of aero-shutters, cooling plates, coolant valves and pumps – small and lightweight. The cooling plate, installed in the vehicle floor, enables the vehicle to utilize the air flowing along the underside of the VISION EQXX for cooling.

On the trip to Silverstone, high ambient temperatures and stop-and-go traffic necessitated cooling of the electric drivetrain and passenger cabin. During the 14 hours and 30 minutes of driving time, the air conditioning was operational for just over 8 hours yet had a minimal negative impact on overall energy consumption.

With two extended and successful road trips now completed, Mercedes’ considers the VISION EQXX to be the most efficient car it has ever built. The company’s work will continue on the development of many VISION EQXX technologies for application in future series-production vehicles.

© 2022 Venture Capital Investor | June 29, 2022