Recently, the German-based carmaker was showing off one of their EV concept cars, the Mercedes EQXX. Staying true to the Mercedes reputation, the EQXX is an engineering masterpiece that is drenched in luxury. But its most impressive feat involved it going on a European road trip.
The Mercedes EQXX goes on a historic road trip
The Mercedes EQXX just completed a wonderful spring road trip. It started in the western German town of Stuttgart and made its way to Cassis in the French Riviera. You might be wondering, "So what? Any car can do that." What made this road trip so historic was that it was done on a single charge.
The complete journey was 1,000 km, or 621 miles. To put that into perspective, the longest range EV in the North American market is the Lucid Air Grand Touring which can go 516 miles before needing to be plugged in.
The road trip was intended to mimic typical driving in Europe without any special tricks to inflate the driving range. The Mercedes EQXX sped along the Autobahn and endured congested traffic in Nice. It averaged 53 mph over the entirety of the trip, and encountered weather that ranged from 37-64 degrees Fahrenheit. It would have been nice to see how the car did in sub-freezing temperatures, but this was an early run for the EQXX.
Why does the Mercedes EQXX have such a great range?
It carries a 100-kWh battery that is surprisingly light. It weighs in at 1,091 pounds, about 37% of the weight of the 212-kWh battery found in the new GMC Hummer EV. In terms of energy to weight ratio, the Mercedes EQXX has an impressive battery.
The ingenuity doesn't end there, as the rear track is two inches narrower than the front track in order to keep it out of the air stream. You would think that this would make the Mercedes EQXX look awkward, but designers were able to keep this hidden with clever engineering and design.
Hopefully you're not too excited about this Mercedes, because it is unclear if it will ever go into production. The top brass at Mercedes-Benz has been quite mum if the EQXX will only be a concept car or if it will be mass-produced. In any case, it looks like German automakers will retain their reputation of world-class engineering in the new EV world.
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