Mercedes EQXX: we tested the queen of autonomy, the concept which holds 1200 km without loading its battery

But what Mercedes only revealed is that he had hit the road with his EQXX, to go even further. Indeed, on June 21, our EQXX started from Stuttgart, destination the circuit of Silverstone in Great Britain. 2 p.m. and 30 minutes later, the queen of autonomy completed her journey of 1,202 km with an average speed of 83 km/h.

Essay – Mercedes Vision EQXX Concept, we rolled with the electric car which has more than 1.000 km of autonomy

Autonomy could soon be a problem for electric cars. The proof with the Mercedes Vision Eqxx Concept, capable of riding more than 1.000 km with a single load. We were able to try this rolling laboratory exclusively.

The electric car is a subject of animated discussion in the automotive world. Between his ardent defenders and his fiercest opponents, a theme is often debated: autonomy . Very largely in progress in recent years, it is enough for pro-electricians accustomed to the recharge step and puts off the electro skeptics accustomed to the full of express fuels .

A model may well agree. His name, Mercedes Vision Eqxx Concept. His strength, having rallied Cassis from Stuttgart, just over 1.000 km for an average of 8.7 kWh per 100 km, without ever recharging its battery . A real feat insofar as Mercedes has only optimized already existing technical solutions to make them as efficient as possible.

The first, and the oldest of all, is none other than aerodynamics . The Star brand had already succeeded in the past to develop vehicles at aero completely crazy, notably the W125 of 1938 or the C111 of 1969 . The EQXX is of this caliber, with a pure design, extremely fluid, without any superfluous appendage.

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Aero-show

The rear is undoubtedly the most impressive part with this tail tail spoiler, and especially its retractable diffuser which unfolds from 60 km/h . Everything has been thought of in order to get the best CX, in this case 0.17, which makes the EQXX, the car with the best coefficient of drag in the world .

“We wanted to draw the most aerodynamic car possible while respecting Mercedes DNA, namely an identifiable design and sportiness” explains Teddy Woll, head of EQXX aerodynamics.

The smallest detail is important. For example, the small Splitter active at the front can open in the hottest climbs or places to direct the air under the flat bottom. Same thing for small mirrors and lateral gowns at the front intended to identify the bad flow of air. Finally, and it is difficult to see it with the naked eye, the wheels at the aero rims were offset of a few millimeters inside the body for even less air resistance.

Motor sport at the service of the great series

The other large of the optimization work concerns the mechanical part and the battery . The engineers in charge of the EQXX project were thus able to count on the help of Mercedes F1 and Formula E teams in order to make the car as efficient as possible.

Again, no exuberance on the program. The engine offers 180 kW of power (244 hp) and the battery delivers just under 100 kWh of capacity, barely less than the large EQS sedan. The feat lies in the fact of having reduced the size of the latter by half, and its weight by 30% (495 kg on the scale by removing liquid cooling in particular) while increasing its energy density (400 Wh/L) . What to allow him to enter a vehicle at the weight (1.755 kg thanks to the use of light materials) and the wheelbase similar to that of a compact sedan (2.80 meters against 2.84 for a class C).

Finally, and this is the last point on which Julien Millas and the other motorist engineers worked, the loss of energy between the battery and the wheels decreased by 50% to reach 95% of efficiency on this model . For the rest, thanks to its voltage of 900 volts, the EQXX can recover 100 km of autonomy in 5 minutes for maximum load power of 140 kW . The very admission of Mercedes, it was possible to do better, but it was not essential given the autonomy offered by the car.

Mercedes Eqxx, the concept with 1,000 km of autonomy – Turbo test of 25/09/2022

Artificial intelligence like co-pilot

1.000 km with a single load and less than 10 kWh per 100 km, so is the promise of the EQXX. Once on board, and after a few tens of kilometers traveled, it is clear that Mercedes did not lie: the car displays 8.5 kWh per 100 km well on its on -board computer, an autonomy of almost 1.200 km ! And this, without playing it eco-crushing and even taking advantage of the long straight lines to test the acceleration of the beast. Never seen !

More than its completely normal driving experience for an electric vehicle: vigorous accelerations and cathedral silence on board, it is its cabin that fascinates. Already because this 4 places is lined with plant elements. From cactus to mushrooms or bamboo. But above all because its dashboard is actually made up of a 48 -inch screen grouping very many functions.

The most impressive ? Without a doubt, the function which allows you to see in real time the direction of the wind and its strength according to the speed and movements of the car. Or the effect of the sun’s rays on the 117 solar panels installed on the roof and capable of recovering up to 25 km for a battery cycle. And of course, the artificial intelligence capable of indicating to the driver at what time to accelerate, brake or simply lift the foot in order to recover the maximum energy to deceleration. In short, the co-piloting of the future !

Mercedes EQXX technical sheet

Model Try: Mercedes EQXX 180 kW
Dimensions L x W x H	4.975 / 1.870 / 1.348 m
Wheelbase	2,800 m
Unloaded weight	1.755 kg
Engine power	180 kW
cx	0.17
Battery	Just under 100 kWh
Voltage	900 volts
Mixed consumption	8.3 kWh/100 km (8.5 kWh noted)
Autonomy	1.200 km

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• – Style
• – Efficiency
• – Autonomy

• – No marketing planned

The Mercedes Eqxx will never be marketed in a serial version. But the Star brand has confirmed to us that it would apply some of its solutions and technologies to its future electric cars. Autonomy is therefore likely to no longer be a problem being !

Mercedes EQXX: we tested the queen of autonomy, the concept which holds 1200 km without loading its battery

The electric car that displays the best autonomy in the world is a concept of Mercedes, the EQXX. This exclusive model, we were able to try it !

The opportunities to drive a concept because are rare and at least precious. When this car is also the champion in its category, the test is fantasy. And yet, it is the Mercedes EQXX, the electric car with the greatest autonomy in the world, that we had the opportunity to try.

Today there is only one rolling copy of the EQXX, the second being a model devoid of mechanical parts. It was in this model that we were able to set up and it was he that we were able to drive, on the Re Movedingen circuit, owned by Mercedes. The time has come to tell you about our impressions.

Mercedes EQXX: a concept ? A new model ? Both ?

The Mercedes EQXX is an electric car concept, a sports coupe whose objective is to break records in terms of autonomy. Considered a laboratory on four wheels, this Mercedes set a crazy goal: to exceed 1200 km of autonomy.

The EQXX vision is therefore not intended to imagine the graphic lines of the future sedans of the star. Its mission is quite different: it consists in testing the integration of a new battery into a redesigned software environment, also with an objective of efficiency. To put it differently, whether on design, the choice of materials, motorization or even bone, Mercedes has placed in this EQXX what it had best in terms of autonomy. Without rival at present on this level, the concept of Mercedes can be seen as a state of art on the autonomy of electric cars.

How did the EQXX reached this level of autonomy ?

It all starts with design. In order to beat kilometers records traveled in electric vehicle, the EQXX could not adopt the shape of a SUV. Its aesthetics and more particularly its aerodynamics are turned towards a target of maximum autonomy. Therefore, the vehicle adopts a sporting look, with a very low center of gravity and a coefficient of drag reduced to the maximum. Thus, the CX is only 0.17, which would constitute a record if the EQXX were to be marketed.

To minimize this drag coefficient (and therefore wind resistance), Mercedes engineers used a few subterfuges. The most impressive of them is this mechanical diffuser at the back. This is activated as soon as the car exceeds 60 km/h. A mechanism then makes it possible to retract it by twenty centimeters, which improves aerodynamics. In parallel, the EQXX also has two hatches at the front (the aptly named jealousies) which can also close to improve the drag coefficient. Besides, a dedicated interface menu allows you to have a real time overview of the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. Bluffing !

If the design is essential to save miles in autonomy, it is a point which is perhaps even more crucial: the battery. So far, with a few exceptions, the game in car manufacturers was to put the biggest battery possible to have the best autonomy. On this point, Mercedes is also at the top of the podium with the EQS and its huge accumulator of 107.7 kWh.
On the EQXX the situation changes fundamentally. The battery certainly has almost 100 kWh capacity, but cell chemistry is very different from what the manufacturer used so far. In fact, for a capacity almost equivalent to that of the EQS, the EQXX battery is 50% more compact and 30% lighter. On this point, we are close to industrial secret, which is why Mercedes does not fall into all the details. The manufacturer admits, however, that the upper part of its battery consists of a composite material (carbon, fiber and sugar) that it was drawn from the side of its Formula 1 stable. This new battery also offers higher yield, estimated at 95%. Concretely, this amounts to saying that 95% of the energy produced arrives directly in the wheels, which leaves little loss. The other particularity of this battery is that it does not have a liquid cooling system. Which allows him to gain in weight, but the limit at 140 kW in power power DC.

EQXX also has a solar roof. In the photos, it is distinguished by its black color which contrasts with the metal gray from the rest of the vehicle. Mercedes is not the first car manufacturer to use this technology. It appears as an option at Hyundai for its ioniq 5 or at Toyota on the BZ4X. And what about the Lightyear brand which uses it as a main source for its 0, the first standard car. On the EQXX, this roof solar panel is seen as an extra source of electricity. Besides, it does not directly eat the engines, but relieves them of a weight: that of providing energy the 12V system inside the vehicle, in other words infotainment.

Design, type of materials, solar panels and new battery technology, all these industrial choices have a consequence on a major factor in terms of autonomy: the weight of the vehicle. It is therefore not surprising to see the EQXX display a “modest” 1,755 kg on the scale, including 495 kg of battery please. For comparison, the vast majority of electric cars exceed both tonnes.

The weight, the aerodynamic design, the solar roof and, of course, an efficient battery technology, these are the weapons that allowed the EQXX to make its first exploits.

A futuristic cabin and an interface that gives pride of place to autonomy

Mercedes did not just work on the design and battery of its concept. EQXX is also an opportunity to think about a cabin and especially an interface turned towards autonomy. The most striking element of this futuristic interior is the screen. Mercedes already has the most impressive screen on the market with its hyperscreen, but that of the EQXX sets the bar even higher. This is a 47 -inch OLED 8K slab which spreads from one end of the dashboard to the next to curb slightly. Indeed, unlike hyperscreen, these are not three screens that are placed under a single glass slab, but a single screen provided by Continental Automotive.

More interesting, perhaps, than the enormous screen of the EQXX is its interface all tour towards autonomy. Indeed, it has several menus dedicated for each element having an impact on the battery discharge. The solar roof menu for example allows you to see how much it has recovered energy and how much kilometers have been earned thanks to this reserve. The aerodynamics part is not to be outdone. A car modeling in real time gives the value of draft coefficient (CX) at all times. In fact, this value evolves depending on whether the diffuser has come out or that jealousies are open or closed.

Finally, facing the driver is undoubtedly the most playful element of this interface: the speed counter. This is presented in the form of a bluish sphere with the speed value in its center. Its particularity: it allows the driver to adjust his conduct in real time so that it is as efficient as possible. How ? With a play of colors that nuances the appearance of the sphere. A slight white halo on the upper part of the ball indicates to the driver that he is invited to accelerate, at least that the EQXX can increase its speed without degrading its consumption. Conversely, when the halo becomes red on its lower part, it is that the driver had a little heavy foot, either on the accelerator or on the brake pedal.

Quite ingenious, the system is very pleasant to use. We find ourselves monitoring the reactions of the sphere at the slightest maneuver, which also invites you to adopt a form of ecoconduite. Finally, given its location (just in front of the pilot’s eyes) and its discretion, this gadget does not prevent to keep your eyes on the road and does not decrease, a priori, safety behind the wheel.

1,200 km of autonomy, that is done

The goal that the EQXX had set for itself, Mercedes has already achieved it. The German manufacturer had already indicated that he had reached blackcurrant from Stuttgart, without going through the recharge box. We had also reported on the feat in a news.

But what Mercedes only revealed is that he had hit the road with his EQXX, to go even further. Indeed, on June 21, our EQXX started from Stuttgart, destination the circuit of Silverstone in Great Britain. 2 p.m. and 30 minutes later, the queen of autonomy completed her journey of 1,202 km with an average speed of 83 km/h.

During his two journeys, the concept of Mercedes consumed much less than the 10 kWh/100 that he had set himself during his design. Indeed, its average consumption during the Stuttgart – Cassis amounted to 8.7 kWh/100. This consumption dropped to 8.3 kWh/100 km on the second route. It is this figure that we had in mind when taking the wheel of the EQXX.

Circuit test: our “almost” attempted at autonomy record

Our EQXX test took us to the closed circuit of Recent, near Stuttgart. It is not a racing circuit as one might imagine, but a classic route that could be similar to a hilly national road that invites you to revive. The loop of about fifteen kilometers has portions limited to 50, 80 and 110 km/h, it is therefore not a speed exercise, although we have had the opportunity to judge the abilities of Acceleration of the concept. As a result, our goal was not to break the tour record on the circuit, but to have an overview of the consumption of the EQXX. To put it differently, we wanted to know if the autonomy displayed during the two test routes (8.7 and 8.3 kWh/100 km) held advantageous conditions in which the test had taken place or if this value was likely.

The analysis of our racing data (see table below) allows us to see that during the 15.42 km traveled in just under 20 minutes, we reached a consumption of 8.49 kWh/100 km, Or a result completely in line with Mercedes’ experiments. A more detailed analysis of the four graphs allows you to see the differences between our test session and the reference tower (white lines) carried out on the circuit by a Mercedes pilot. For the anecdote, this steering wheel professional managed to lower consumption to 7.9 kWh/100 km.

Admittedly, this is not a journey of 3 p.m. and more than 1,000 km, but our modest trip to EQXX still allowed us to note that Mercedes did not jolze its autonomy results. The concept of the German manufacturer is entirely capable of consumption of less than 9 kWh and consequently of record autonomy.

Finally, a word on driving sensations. EQXX is certainly only a concept, but gives the impression of being a car already successful. Whether on driving or system, we did not feel like we are dealing with a demonstration model, but a car whose finish level is close to a standard vehicle. Finally, if the EQXX does not have the firepower of an AMG One, it has been biting and an acceleration capacity more than agreable.

What future for the EQXX ?

What will happen to this laboratory on wheels, when it has already achieved its objective of autonomy ? What technologies of which it has facilitated development will be taken up in the next brand’s models to the star ?

For the moment, the fate of the EQXX is not sealed. Although they have achieved their 1200 km target, Mercedes engineers hope to push their car a little further. If officially, the car has reached the objective set, unofficially, its engineers hope to push it a little further and exceed 1,300 km with a single load. The next step for the EQXX will therefore be to ride, and drive again over a few promotion operations, of course, but during which people behind the project will try to exploit its capacities to the maximum.

What now of the technologies it embeds ? Will we soon see a diffuser articulated on a future C class ? It’s a possibility. In reality, it is the battery technology that brings the most questions. More compact, lighter and devoid of liquid cooling, it seems all designated to equip the next models of the brand. But, because there is one but, this change of battery would require Mercedes to accept to back up two steps on the recharge part.
Indeed, to develop the EQXX, the engineers of Stuttgart had carte blanche on the platform part. The choices that have been made regarding the battery severely limit its charging power. This caps at 140 kW. However, most recent vehicles can load at 150 kW and more, as for the most efficient, their charging power is 250 kW. Limited to 140 kW, the EQXX can say goodbye to the famous 10 to 80% battery in less than 30 minutes. But do we need to load so quickly, when you almost no longer need to stop at a charging station ? Indeed, the journeys exceeding 1,000 km are relatively rare, it is therefore allowed to think that a vehicle with such autonomy does not have an imperative need to recharge faster than its shadow. Is Mercedes ready to take such a risk ?

Finally, it is the EQXX bone that seems the easiest to adapt to another model of the brand. What we have seen in the concept of the concept because could quite be transposed on the hyperscreen screen that equips the EQS, the S class and the EQE. Even if the whole is turned towards autonomy, it is quite possible that the interface is slightly adapted (no need for a real -time indicator of CX, for example) to give birth to the next version of Mbux , the bone of the star brand.