The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept car has beaten its own record of the longest distance traveled on a single charge by an EV. A part of the company's EQ-series of battery electric vehicles, the Vision EQXX concept car was unveiled back in January with the promise of delivering a range of over 620 miles. The first model in the EQ line was the Generation EQ concept car that was showcased at the Paris Motor Show 2016 before the first commercially-available EQ model, the EQC compact crossover SUV, made its way to the global markets in 2019.
The latest entrant in the EQ lineup is the EQS all-electric SUV that was unveiled last month. It is based on the EQS sedan and will be offered in two trim levels, including the more premium 580 4MATIC version with two electric motors producing 536 horsepower and 633 pound-foot of torque. The other version is the 450+, which comes with a single rear-axle motor with 355 horsepower and 419 pound-feet of torque. Both versions come with a 107.8kWh battery, and according to WLTP estimates, the SUV can travel up to 373 miles on a single charge.
The Mercedes Benz Vision EQXX recently set a new record of the longest distance traveled on a single charge with a 747 mile road trip from Stuttgart in Germany to Silverstone in the UK. In doing so, it broke its own world record of 626 miles that was set back in April when the car traveled from Stuttgart to Cassis, France, without recharging on the way. According to an official press release from Mercedes-Benz, the journey from Germany to the U.K. was more difficult than the earlier road trip to France, largely due to the soaring summer temperatures. While the car experienced mild temperatures ranging from 37.4 degrees to 64 degrees during the earlier road trip, it faced more daunting summer temperatures of up to 86 degrees this time around.
Innovative Thermal Management System Helped
Despite the higher temperatures and the increased traffic around Stuttgart and in the southeast of England, the Vision EQXX was able to eke out such high efficiency from its electric motors due to what the company describes as its 'innovative' thermal management system. According to the company, the first thing that helped was the efficiency of the electric drive unit that generates minimal waste heat, helping keep the thermal management system small and lightweight.
Another factor that contributed to the stellar efficiency was the "carefully engineered interaction of aero-shutters, coolant valves and pumps." This included a new air-flow management system and a cooling plate underneath the floor of the car that helped it cool down further by using the air flow along the underside of the vehicle. According to Mercedes-Benz, this strategy increased the overall efficiency of the vehicle by around two percent.
Another challenge that the vehicle faced was to keep the electric drivetrain and passenger cabin cool without reducing efficiency even in the high summer temperatures. The multi-source heat pump in the car did that with aplomb, keeping the cabin temperature cool without too much of a negative impact on energy consumption despite the AC in the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX being switched on for over eight hours during the total travel time of 14 hours and 30 minutes.
Source: Mercedes-Benz