Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX: up to 1,000 kilometers of range
Today, the topical issue is no longer knowing what is the gross power of an engine, but what is the electric range available to the car. With the Vision EQXX, Mercedes-Benz raises the bar to over 1,000 kilometers.
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled part of its vision for the future in electrification with the EQXX concept. This concept, legal for the road according to Mercedes-Benz, opens the door to a whole new direction in energy efficiency for the manufacturer from Stuttgart.
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Aerodynamics, the trump card
With a drag coefficient of just 0.17, the EQXX is one of the cars, if not the most aerodynamic car in the world. Stylists under the thumb of Gorden Wagener tested the car extensively in the wind tunnel to arrive at this figure. Although the typical Mercedes-Benz design, especially with the absence of a radiator grille, is surprisingly absent, there are certain familiar features found in Mercedes-Benz. This is especially the case with the very slender rear configuration taken from the Concept IAA 2015. This part of the car gets a diffuser that automatically stretches to improve airflow behind the body. To once again optimize air penetration, the wheels have completely closed rims.
Ecological interior
The question of ecology is not limited to low energy consumption or simply electrification, the materials used must also come from responsible sources. There is no animal material used in the design of the cockpit. The leathers are even made in part from fast-growing cacti and mushrooms. Mercedes-Benz maintains that this species reaches maturity for harvest in less than two weeks. Also with this in mind, the rugs are made from bamboo fibers.
Highly technological, the interior presentation boils down to a play of mood colors that we have known well at Mercedes-Benz since the arrival of the MBUX multimedia era. However, for the EQXX, we push the limits with a single rectangular screen whose animation is in 3 dimensions.
Revised technology
Mercedes-Benz largely recovers the battery components found in the EQS, but reduced to below 100 kilowatt hours. However, the HPP (High Performance Powertains) experts at Mercedes-AMG in England, the very people who design the engines in Formula 1, are responsible for its new configuration and the elements that surround it. The 150 kilowatt (201 horsepower) engine is a creation of engineers from Stuttgart. According to the manufacturer, the management of the electrical system obtains an energy use efficiency of 95% while in a regular electric car, we speak rather of 75%. Therefore, it is autonomy that wins. In addition, the average consumption is under 10 kilowatt hours / 100 kilometers. Mercedes-Benz announces real freedom of 1,000 kilometers.
A window to the future
The EQXX in its current form will certainly not see the light of day. However, over the next few years it is clear that many of its aerodynamic and electrification components will be salvaged for production vehicles. The Concept EQXX was slated to be the star of CES for Mercedes-Benz before it was announced to be withdrawn due to the rise in COVID-19 cases around the world.
