Electric Mercedes Vision EQXX completes 747-mile trip without charging

Mercedes has just set a new record for completing the longest journey in an electric car without charging as it continues its efforts to dispel consumer concerns around range anxiety with battery-powered vehicles.

Its fully electric Vision EQXX concept EV has been driven 747 miles from Stuttgart in Germany to Silverstone in Northamptonshire without having to stop to plug into a charger.

The previous record was held by the same model, which was driven 626 miles on a single charge back in April.

Mercedes says the one-charge journey from its home city in the west region of Germany to the British racing circuit via the Euro Tunnel.

The route included a mix of autobahn, motorways and country roads with Formula E driver Nyck de Vries at the wheel for a total of 14 hours and 30 minutes split over two days.

Mercedes even went to the lengths of taping up the charging port of the car to prove the ribbon hadn’t been broken for a sneaky charge during the trip. 

The average speed the Vision EQXX achieved was 52mph, though it did reach up to 87mph where permitted on German motorways.

The trek across countries was also completed in temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius, which would normally restrict the performance of an EV – especially if the driver has the air-conditioning on full whack.

However, the car firm says clever thermal management system – made up of various cooling valves, pumps and aero-shutters – helped keep the powertrain cool for the entirety of the journey. 

The final miles to use up all the available battery capacity remaining consisted of 11 laps around the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, eventually taking the chequered flag with the trip computer ticking over at 1,202km (747 miles).

‘The Vision EQXX was a true pleasure to drive,’ said de Vries after his arduous zero-emission schlep. 

‘I know what this team is capable of, and it was a real honour to drive such an amazing car on such a historic track.’

He added: ‘And I can tell you that the interior is definitely a lot more luxurious than the cockpit of a Formula E car.’

Mercedes said the average energy consumption for the total journey was 8.3kWh per 100km.

Markus Schäfer, chief technology officer at Mercedes-Benz, said: ‘Yet again, the Vision EQXX has proven that it can easily cover more than 1,000km [621 miles] on a single battery charge, this time faced with a whole different set of real-world conditions. 

‘As Mercedes-Benz strives to go all-electric by 2030 wherever market conditions allow, it is important to show to the world what can be achieved in real terms through a combination of cutting-edge technology, teamwork and determination.’

The Vision EQXX’s impressive range isn’t achieved using a larger battery pack. 

In fact, it uses a 100kWh battery, which is smaller than the unit fitted to some of Mercedes’ most expensive existing models.

However, the concept vehicle’s battery pack is 50 per cent smaller and 30 per cent lighter than what is currently on the market, which means it can be used in more compact cars if necessary.

Schäfer says the concept doesn’t point to a direct production model but will instead provide the ‘blueprint for the future of automotive engineering’. 

He said earlier this year: ‘Many of the innovative developments are already being integrated into production, some of them in the next generation of modular architecture for compact and midsize Mercedes‑Benz vehicles.’

The battery, inverter and 180 kW e-motor – which is claimed to be 44 per cent more efficient than current electric motors – will likely be carried over from the prototype car into series production models in the coming years. 

It has been developed with the help of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, with the brains behind Lewis Hamilton’s recent Formula One success providing their expertise to develop the EQXX’s electric drive system.

Also boosting available energy are the 117 solar cells on the Mercedes’ roof that feed into a 12-volt battery to power non-drivetrain electronics, such as the infotainment screen and interior lighting.

This saves the main battery’s capacity exclusively for driving, with bosses claiming the solar panels add around 16 miles of range.

As well as a lighter battery, the EQXX has a featherweight construction, which results in a total unladen weight of just 1,755kg – that’s barely much more than a Ford Focus family hatchback. 

Its bullet-like profile means it’s also super-efficient at cutting through the air and specially-developed low-rolling-resistance Bridgestone tyres also reduces demand on the drivetrain and improves range.

This week’s journey was 121 miles further than Mercedes took the Vision EQXX earlier this year.

On 5 April, it embarked on a journey from Germany – again starting in Stuttgart – to the picturesque Côte d’Azur via the Swiss Alps and Northern Italy in just 12 hours.

On arrival to its destination, Mercedes said the concept vehicle still had 15 per cent battery of its battery range remaining.

It calculated that the surplus charge would have provided enough power to cover an additional 87 miles, suggesting the car was capable of 713 miles on a full battery pack – some 34 miles less than it achieved this week.

The new record of 747 miles is also 294 miles longer than the maximum claimed driving range of the Mercedes EQS 450+, which is the electric car currently on sale in the UK that can be driven furthest on a single charge.

With range being one of the biggest sticking points preventing consumers from making the switch to EVs, the Vision EQXX suggests it could soon become a thing of the past for drivers in the UK when next-generation models eventually hit the market. 

A recent study found that the average Briton drives 6,800 miles a year (based pre-pandemic 2019 figures). That works out at 142 miles a week.

If Mercedes was to bring the EQXX to market now, an average motorist would only need to fully charge it every five weeks – or nine times per annum.

Despite being driven such a long way on its epic slog across Europe, the Vision EQXX isn’t staying for a rest at Silverstone. 

Instead, the car has been driven to West Sussex for the Goodwood Festival of Speed in time for it to be driven up the famous hill route today (Friday) and over the course of the weekend’s festivities.