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On a test drive from Sindelfingen to Cassis on the Côte d'Azur:
the "Vision EQXX" consumed 8.7 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per 100 kilometers
Photo: Mercedes-Benz AG / dpa
The vision of the car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz for an efficient electric car with a record range has passed the practical test.
The "Vision EQXX" prototype presented at the beginning of the year managed a distance of more than 1000 kilometers in one test tour with one battery charge.
The research car is the most efficient Mercedes ever built, said CEO
Ola Källenius
(52) on Thursday.
"The technology program behind it marks a milestone in the development of electric vehicles."
Head of development
Markus Schäfer
spoke of a "blueprint for the future of automotive engineering" that should be used in series models in two or three years.
In addition to high prices and insufficient charging options, concerns about insufficient range are still keeping many consumers from switching to zero-emission electric cars.
Several companies are working on solutions.
The US startup Our Next Energy tested its battery with a Tesla Model S in December and got a distance of 1210 kilometers.
The Chinese electric car manufacturer Nio promises 1000 kilometers per battery charge for its series model ET7.
According to an overview by the comparison portal Carwow, the Mercedes luxury sedan EQS has the longest range of up to 768 kilometers among the currently common electric cars, followed by the Tesla Model S Long Range with up to 652 kilometers.
According to Schäfer, Mercedes-Benz was the first carmaker to manage the ultra long distance at low temperatures and an average speed of 90 km/h.
Schäfer: It depends on the low power consumption
But the course record is less important than the low power consumption, emphasized the head of development.
Because driving long distances with large, heavy batteries is not an art.
The average consumption with half a ton of relatively light batteries was 8.7 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 kilometers on the eleven and a half hour journey from Sindelfingen across the Alps to the Cote d'Azur.
Applied to combustion engines, that would mean consumption of around one liter.
According to the mobility service provider DKV, electric cars currently need an average of 15 kWh per 100 kilometers.
According to Schäfer, the heavy Mercedes premium models consume a good 20 kWh on the road.
In series production, it should go down "towards ten".
The vehicle sets standards for energy efficiency through improved battery technology, the use of lightweight materials, tires with low rolling resistance and thanks to "the world's best aerodynamics," explained Mercedes-Benz.
It was invented in a record time of just 18 months - compared to 40 months for main model types.
"We want to be in a new development cycle," said Schäfer.
"The formula is speed."
dri/Reuters