Mercedes-Benz will go full-electric by 2030. The company plans to present soon a concept vehicle to show its leadership in electric-vehicle technology.
The automaker has already provided glimpses of the concept, known as the Vision EQXX, and its R&D chief, Markus Schaefer, confirmed last week via a LinkedIn post that the reveal will take place on January 3, 2022. It is possible that this concept will be displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (Nevada) on Jan. 5.
Schaefer provided some additional details about the concept. It can travel 1,000 km (approximately 621 mi) on one charge. This is 100 miles less than the Lucid Air Dream Edition Range, which covers 520 miles. Although the Lucid is a sedan-sized model, the Mercedes, which is smaller than the Lucid, is more compact. Teaser photos show that the Mercedes has a coupe-like design.
Mercedes used all its divisions, even the Formula One team to maximize efficiency. Software used in the car is another example. Schaefer estimates that the car, at highway speeds, will only consume one-digit kilowatt-hour for each 62-miles.
Teaser video for Mercedes-Benz Vision: EQXX released on January 3, 2022
Efficiency measures we know of include a sleek body with a coefficient of drag below the 0.20 Cd rating of the Mercedes EQS—which has the lowest rating for a production vehicle.
A unique battery cell design is also available. Schaefer claims that the battery’s energy density is 20% more than the EQS.
Also, we know that there are extremely efficient electric motors. The electric motors were developed by Yasa in Britain, an earlier acquisition of Mercedes. Axial-flux motors, which are lightweight and powerful, have been a hallmark of the company. Mercedes F1 has been a major contributor to this, in terms of both drive performance as well as energy recovery.
Mercedes doesn’t expect to release a production version the Vision EQXXX but the learnings it has made will be beneficial for future EVs. Mercedes stated that it would spend over 40 billion euro (approximately $45 billion) in EV development from 2022 to 2030.
