Even with the advances made in electric vehicles in recent years, range anxiety will still be putting some off. The fear of getting stranded without juice, or chargers not working, is enough to keep those raised on fossil fuels and forecourts happy with what they know. But an electric vehicle that could do almost 750 miles on a charge would be enough to put off the most ardent cynics - and that’s exactly what the Mercedes Vision EQXX has done.
Ahead of next weekend’s British Grand Prix, the EQXX concept drove from Stuttgart to Silverstone on one charge, a journey total of 1,202km, or 746 miles - beating out its own record from earlier this year. Apparently it wasn’t with a concerted efficiency drive, either - that total includes 11 laps of Silverstone with Formula E driver Nyck de Vries at the wheel (albeit limited to 87mph).
In 14 hours and 30 minutes of driving time, the air-con was on for more than eight hours, too, and the average speed was 51mph, which accounted for “increased traffic density in the southeast of England” - and we all know how bad that can be. The EQXX travelled 7.5 miles for every kWh of energy; three miles per kWh isn’t a bad return for the average EV. The journey represents a typical European road trip, seemingly, with no particular concessions to frugality, yet undertaken with an electric car.
Mercedes points to the Vision EQXX’s efficiency of its drive unit as a reason for its remarkable range; because that doesn’t create a lot of heat, the thermal management system can be small and light. Weight is the enemy of efficiency, and the EQXX’s 1,755kg unladen is impressive given most EVs remain in excess of two tonnes. Those attributes works in conjunction with innovative air flow management to both further benefit cooling and aero, which will again have further range advantages.
Markus Schafer, Mercedes CTO for Development and Procurement, said of the EQXX: “Yet again, the Vision EQXX has proven that it can easily cover more than 1,000 km 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.”
That’s not all for Mercedes this weekend, either, with Goodwood playing host to some significant debuts as part of AMG’s 55th anniversary. The One and its incredible 1.6 hybrid turbo V6 will be going up the hill all weekend, and festival-goers will also be able to see the 843hp GT63 S E Performance and AMG GT Track Series. You know, the GT3 car with the 730hp Black Series V8. Which makes for 2,636hp between three cars. And that’s before you consider the old stuff Merc Classic has brought to the event, with a Group C C9, DTM-spec 190E Evo and 300 SLR to ogle. Even with EVs in development capable of 1,200km on a charge, don’t expect Mercedes to forget about those icons anytime soon.
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