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Considered the most efficient Mercedes-Benz vehicle ever, the Vision EQXX concept is more than just a show car. The experimental electric vehicle is meant to evaluate future technologies, with an innovative 100 kilowatt-hour air-cooled battery, sleek aerodynamics and efficiency-enhancing cab electronics. Supposedly, all of that adds up to a range of over 620 miles (1,000 kilometers), for an overall energy consumption of 10 kWh/100 km (6.2 miles/kWh).
But the theoretical specs are only as good as the paper they are written on. Because of this, Mercedes-Benz decided to test its idea through the Mission EQXX: a 626-mile journey on public roads from the company’s Electric Software Hub (ESH) in Sindelfingen, Germany, to the coastal city of Cassis, France. The journey will consist of significant elevation changes, twisty two-lane roads, and several miles of Autobahn driving restrictions. What’s more, the route will be open to the public, making Vision EQXX a zone of construction, traffic jams, and dumbfounded spectators for a closer look and take photos.
Starting Line
ESH is one of Mercedes’ newest facilities, housing a team that researches, develops and evaluates the company’s infotainment, electric propulsion, advanced driver assistance and cloud-based services. The facility employs hundreds of people on-site, but cooperation comes from other Mercedes development offices, anywhere from Beijing and Bangalore to the Bay Area. In addition to human resources, ESH also hosts a variety of simulated and dynamic testbeds.
One such machine tests the autonomous driving brain by giving it the digital equivalent of a public road. Simulation visualizations appear on computer screens, allowing engineers to monitor how autonomous vehicles will handle the sudden appearance of pedestrians on a freeway, for example. Another location at the facility allows developers to evaluate how electric vehicles will operate in a variety of climates and road conditions, all without putting tires on the road. In fact, a significant amount of Mercedes-Benz research and development takes place in this simulated state, before a car is close to roadworthiness.
That made the ESH the perfect starting point for the Vision EQXX’s long journey to France. Facilities engineers are familiar with cars, and they will monitor their behavior remotely – whatever the car sees or does, the software center knows it. In fact, the disembodied EQXX computer (embedded in the EQB body) runs the exact same virtual route as the physical car, which comes in handy when minor DC/DC converter issues on the Vision EQXX arise. Engineers at Sindelfingen can locate problems in virtual cars, then tell real-world drivers how to remotely fix them. Mission Control, all systems running.
Vive La France!
The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX hit the road minutes before sunrise, winding its way through Stuttgart before crashing into the unrestricted Autobahn. While efficiency was a key part of the EQXX’s brief mission, the drivers still maintained a normal flow of traffic, hitting 87 miles per hour before crossing the border into Switzerland just in time for Zürich’s morning traffic. From there, the team faced its first major hurdle while driving through the Gotthard Road Tunnel, a stretch known for its stop-and-go snapping and a 9-mile, five-percent incline. The comparable no-load weight of 3,869 pounds helps conserve energy.
After breaking free from Gotthard traffic, the Vision EQXX began its descent into Northern Italy, where its regenerative braking, one of the EQS’s best attributes, presented itself. The EQXX has a selectable regeneration rate, meaning the driver can efficiently glide on flat highways, add a bit of recovery in small hills or when approaching slower traffic, or enable single-pedal driving in the city. An added benefit of this extensive regenerative braking is that the EQXX rarely uses its mechanical brakes, which allows it to be made from aluminum components, thus saving more weight.
Most of the journey so far has been in the typical Teutonic early spring rainy weather and temperatures of around 40 degrees, but crossing the border from Switzerland to Italy requires some sunshine. With 117 solar cells achieving 20 percent efficiency – an industry-leading figure in solar power generation – the Vision EQXX roof supplies the car’s 12-volt battery that powers additional features such as infotainment, navigation system, power accessories and speakers. According to Mercedes, the solar roof can add 16 miles of range during a 621-mile journey by reducing the load on the drive battery.
After 12 hours of driving – which included two 15-minute stops to change drivers and check tire pressure – the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX rolled into Cassis, France, a city on the picturesque Côte d’Azur. After 626 miles on public roads, facing the same cold temperatures, heavy rain, road construction delays, and traffic like any other car, the EQXX still shows a mileage of over 85 miles. Even more impressively, the car’s overall energy consumption was better than expected at 7.1 miles/kWh (8.7 kWh/100km) – which would convert to the equivalent of 239 miles per gallon on the EPA scale.
Show Car To Showroom
Mercedes says we’ll see some of the Vision EQXX’s technologies, such as passive air-cooled batteries and unique battery chemistry, in early 2024 when the next-generation A- and B-Class arrive in the new MMA compact car architecture. In fact, the EQXX’s overall length and four-door layout suggest it could even evolve into the next-generation C-Class, which is expected to be fully electric.
Whether Mercedes’ future car looks as sleek and sleek as the Vision EQXX remains to be seen. But it’s clear that automakers are working to make fully electric vehicles a compromise-free solution, combining long-distance grand touring with a small energy footprint and eco-chic design. EQXX mission accomplished.
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