From the moment electric cars started being discussed within the automotive trade, questions of range have followed. For many, it’s the heart of the matter. The one thing that counts. Fortunately, we no longer talk about the 150 km early models offered. Today, an EV with 400 km of range is almost average.
And even then, the demand is increasingly for more, and automakers are doing their best to oblige. Already, some models coming to market imminently (and others a little further on the horizon) promise 500 km, even 600 km. The maker of the recently launched Lucid Air promises it will deliver 830 km.
No problem, says Mercedes-Benz. It will serve up even more, at least in the case of the EQXX concept it plans to present at the Consumer Electronics Show set for Las Vegas early January 2022 – the 3rd of the month, to be precise.
The big number thrown out along with the first teaser images today is of course the range: 1000 km. To date, the best any Mercedes-Benz EV has done is the 563 km available from the EQS sedan. Note that the Vision EQXX concept is smaller than that EV.
Markus Schäfer, COO of Mercedes-Benz, revealed some of what folks should watch out for at the presentation. Namely, the drag coefficient, which promises to be better than the 0.20 of the EQS sedan, which its maker claims is currently the most aerodynamic car on the market. Schäfer also said that the energy density of the battery cells in the Vision EQXX concept will be 20 percent higher than in the EQS.
For Mercedes-Benz, the Vision EQXX concept is more than just a car. It is in fact a rolling laboratory that will be used to improve the development of all future electric vehicles produced by the brand. Everything was combed through to make the study more efficient. All departments were involved, including specialists from Formula 1 and the AMG division.
We’re excited enough to see what’s what with the EQXX, but equally significant is what it sets up for Mercedes-Benz’ future products. We’ll find out more in January.
