With the premiere of its near-series study EQXX, Daimler wanted to be the first car manufacturer whose electric model can cover a distance of at least 1000 kilometers on one battery charge. A few weeks ago, the Chinese crossover GAC Aion LX plus snatched this finish pass away from Stuttgart.
But while this 4.84 meter long SUV needs a gigantic battery with a capacity of 144.4 kWh for this route, Daimler’s sedan of the future is on the road with a storage device that holds less than 100 kWh: the real consumption of the future model should be less than ten kilowatt hours per a hundred kilometers shorter than any other vehicle.
The low consumption is ensured by intelligent lightweight construction and sophisticated aerodynamics – the cW.-The value is just 0.17. The Mercedes Vision EQXX undercuts Volkswagen’s eco-cigar VW XL 1, which has a drag coefficient of 0.19 on fuel-consumption trips with less than one liter of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers. Visually, the study is almost an old acquaintance, its design is based on the worth seeing Mercedes-Benz “Concept IAA” (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile) study of 2019, which with its retractable rear cW.-Best values secured.
The Mercedes-Benz “Concept IAA” (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile) achieved a drag coefficient of Cd 0.19 in 2019 with active aerodynamics.
(Image: Daimler)
You can see the excellent drag value of the 1750 kilogram electric flounder, the low roof line and the long rear, reminiscent of a long-tail racing car, are signs of how the four-door tries to dive under the headwind.
(Image: Daimler)
The low weight for a 100 kWh electric car enables an ultra-high-strength steel body with numerous aluminum, CFRP and GFRP modules in addition to the lighter battery pack in the underbody. The forged magnesium wheels have a lush 20-inch diameter, but the tires, similar to the BMW i3 or VW XL 1, are rather narrow with a width of 18.5 centimeters in order to further reduce resistance.
The drive of the Mercedes Vision EQXX has an output of 150 kW and should still allow a top speed of 140 km / h in efficient operation. “The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX shows how we imagine the future of the electric car,” says Daimler CEO Ola Källenius, “offering a range of more than 1000 kilometers on a single charge – with a battery that fits into a small car would.” Without saying which cell chemistry the battery is based on, Daimler states that the structure of the anodes plays a large part in the increased energy density. Their higher silicon content and their composition make it possible to store significantly more energy than was previously possible.
50 percent smaller, 30 percent lighter
Engineers with experience from the in-house Formula 1 forge helped the battery experts to compress the almost 500 kilogram energy storage device of the EQXX into a compact format. The battery pack of the vision model stores almost 100 kWh of energy with 50 percent less volume and 30 percent less weight than the current one in the Mercedes EQS. Not entirely new, but helpful when it comes to every kilometer of range: thin roof panels with 117 solar cells feed the battery system with solar energy and enable an additional range of up to 25 kilometers.
Inside, the EQXX looks almost like a production vehicle. It offers four individual seats, a narrow 47.5-inch display with 8K resolution that extends across the entire dashboard, and a center console that underlines the overall puristic character. Noble leather like in Mercedes production models is searched in vain in the future study – seat covers, panels and carpets are animal-free.
The carpets are made from 100 percent fast-growing bamboo fiber. In the EQXX, however, you shouldn’t be too big at the front or back, otherwise the low roofline will noticeably narrow the headroom.
What about the coveted small series?
The Mercedes Vision EQXX is still a one-off, but it is already in trial operation. Its technologies should find their way into future series models in a variety of ways. This applies to the recycled materials as well as to the efficient drive or the 900-volt battery. “The technology program behind the Vision EQXX will redefine and enable future models and vehicle functions from Mercedes-Benz,” says Daimler Board Member for Development Markus Schäfer. And who knows whether the Mercedes Vision EQXX, like the VW XL 1, might not have what it takes to become a coveted small-series model. For the XL 1, which is only produced 200 times in the VW factory in Osnabrück, the used car market sometimes pays well over 100,000 euros.
(fpi)