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Mercedes-Benz EQXX: An Electric Car With 1,000KM Of Range And Futuristic Technology

It’s been a long time since the idea of the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX was first mentioned. But finally, we’ve been shown the full car just hours after a teaser. And while this is an exciting time – a glimpse into the future of Mercedes – we’ve been promised that this car will eventually make production, too. Welcome to 2022.

The German marque has called this its most efficient car yet, with a range of over 621 miles (1,000 kilometres) on a single charge. That’s like driving the full width of the UK twice. America is a bit bigger than our little island, but Mercedes still claims that the average American driver will only need to charge the car twice a month.

Now, we don’t have a lot of information on the EQXX’s battery, but we can tell you a few stats. Its capacity is less than 100 kilowatt-hours. It’s also 30% lighter than the battery in the EQS, while also having 50% less volume. In fact, the battery and its frame which carries it only weighs 495kg.

The maximum system voltage is 900 bolts, and the powertrain consists of a singular electric motor producing 201 horsepower. Yeah, that’s not a huge number. But Mercedes does insist that 95% of that hits the tarmac. Okay, still not impressive. But what is impressive is the solar panel consisting of 117 cells on the roof of the vehicle.

This is used to power the ancillary systems – climate control, lights, infotainment, etc, while a lithium-iron-phosphate battery collects what’s left. In perfect conditions, which I assume is something along the lines of pure LA sun, the car can add 13.53 miles to its range.

The EQXX is rather small, regardless of how bulky it looks in its photos, with a length of just 182.3 inches, and only weighs 1,750kg. A Tesla Model S in comparison weighs over 2,100kgs and a C-Class is 187 inches long. But its real efficiency comes from its low drag coefficient which sits at just 0.18 thanks to its smooth teardrop design.

To add to this, there are lots of active body panels and air curtains to make it even more slippery, with an active diffusor sat at the rear and cooling vents that only open when needed.

Even its tyres are specially built by Bridgestone to be aerodynamically optimised and have a low rolling resistance.

Inside things are just as impressive, with a display that reaches 47.5-inches corner to corner. This display has an 8k resolution and its navigation system uses 3D graphics to create a realistic top-down satellite view of your surroundings.

For the eco-conscious of you, the car embraces sustainable materials such as vegan leather made from mushrooms and biosteel fibre that’s as soft as silk. The carpets are even made of bamboo.

Okay, so this is going to be interesting. Unfortunately, we don’t quite know when to get excited as a release date for the car is yet to be revealed. Next year? Next five years? We have no idea. But I hope it’s sooner rather than later.

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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