The “most efficient electric vehicle [Mercedes has] ever built” – the Vision EQXX – will make its public debut on January 3, according to Daimler Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars chief operating officer, Markus Schäfer.
First hinted at in October 2020 when Mercedes-Benz announced its full commitment to electrification and the strategy involved therein, the purpose of the Vision EQXX was said to build an EV with “spectacular efficiency and range.”
Now, as well as offering a brand-new teaser image of the concept, Mr Schäfer’s post on his personal LinkedIn page also heightens the impact the EQXX will have on Mercedes’ production lineup, proclaiming the concept could boast a real-world range of a so-far unprecedented 1,000 kilometres.
Mercedes Vision EQXX
“Today, we at Mercedes-Benz– as well as the entire automotive industry – must completely reimagine the car in the context of electromobility,” Mr Schäfer explained in his post. “The automobile as we have come to know it till now has been the product of 130 years of continuous development. What we have achieved so far has been amazing, but progress with electric cars must move faster – much faster.
“That’s why we have set a more than ambitious goal for ourselves with the VISION EQXX: We want to develop a compact-class electric vehicle that can drive 1,000 km at a stretch on one battery charge under real road conditions, with a single-digit consumption value for kilowatt hours per 100 kilometres at normal highway speeds.”
The latter is particularly telling, as the most efficient EV available today – the Tesla Model 3 RWD – boasts an EU-certified 14 kWh per 100 km. To drop below 10kWh would be an incredible achievement.
From far being ‘just’ another concept then, Mr Schäfer explains that the Vision EQXX will be an “interdisciplinary technology programme,” one encompassing experts from Mercedes’ road car ranks as well as Mercedes-AMG Powertrains and the German brand’s highly successful Formula 1 team, from which the EQXX R&D team will draw experience of the F1 car’s hybrid engine, and motorsport’s indicative rapid development.
Focus will be on energy efficiency, vehicle concept development, eDrive system integration, Software and design and, crucially, ruthlessly efficient aerodynamics. Hence the curvaceous bodylines of the EQXX seen – sort of – in the two teaser images posted so far.
Though this latest post refrained from providing too many details, Mercedes’ EQS was named as the efficiency benchmark to beat. Introduced in the April this year, the all-electric addition to the S-Class range featured a brand-new EV-dedicated architecture, single and/or dual electric motors available as rear and/or all-wheel drive (with power accordingly available from 245 kW / 328 hp to 385kW / 516 hp), an electric range of up to 770 km, and, most significantly, a world record low drag co-efficient of just 0.20.
Interestingly, the EQS’ batteries – the largest of which was a sizeable 107.8 kWh – have also been targeted for improvement, with Mercedes working to improve energy density by a further 20 per cent over the brand’s current electric flagship.
Though the venue for the EQXX’s debut also remains a mystery, the confirmed January 3 date suggests the Vision will land ahead of CES in Las Vegas, set to take place between January 5 and 8.
