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We take a walk with the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX, an advanced sedan concept that points to the long-range capability of the next generation of electric production models from the German carmaker.
The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX is a road car of the future that exists today. Your mission? To provide the widest possible range using the least amount of electricity.
After two years of design and development, the fully operational sedan concept was tested last week in a development campaign from Mercedes-Benz’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany to its design studio in Nice, France. , a distance of 1,008 km, which reached with a single charge of its battery of 100 kWh at an average speed of 87.4 km / h.
In the process, the Vision EQXX returned an average consumption of 8.7 kWh / 100 km. In addition, it is claimed that it has reached its destination on the Côte d’Azur with a 15 percent charge of the remaining battery, or more than 140 km of additional autonomy, according to Mercedes-Benz.
To put it in perspective, the newly introduced EQE sedan, which uses a 90.6 kWh battery, has an official WLTP consumption figure of between 15.9 and 18.7 kWh / 100 km, which allows it to range of up to 660 km.
These are impressive figures, no doubt. But they’re not even half as interesting as watching the Vision EQXX up close under a blue sky for the first time.
Instead of simply adopting a teardrop with marked wheels for maximum aerodynamic potential with packaging commitments, a route made by cars like the GM EV1 and the Volkswagen XL1, Mercedes-Benz has delivered a car designed to deliver levels similar accommodation and daily convenience. like their usual production cars, with four conventional front doors with hinges.
The front has the appearance of a sports car, with a low rim, a short hood, well-formed fenders and large rudders. The iconic Mercedes-Benz grille is replaced by a star graphic built into the front bumper, while the digital LED headlights are joined by a full-width LED light bar.
The so-called “air control system” channels air through the front section before it exits through two hood outlets. Mercedes-Benz has also given up wind cheating cameras for traditional mirrors. They are much smaller than those found in existing production models, but they do the job without much loss of aerodynamic efficiency.
The A-pillars are well advanced. The cab is lowered to the rear, giving the Vision EQXX a strong appearance on the rear wheels. Unusually, the rear track is 50 mm narrower than the front track.
VISION EQXX: trip log numbers Home Sindelfingen, 7:00 am Arrival Cassis, 19:02 Travel route Sindelfingen, Gotthard tunnel, Milan, Cassis Driving distance 1,008 kilometers Total travel time / movement 12 hours and 2 minutes / 11 hours and 32 minutes Average speed 87.4 km / h Highway speed 140 km / h Average consumption 8.7 kWh per 100 km Battery charge level on arrival (SoC) at about 15% Remaining autonomy on arrival about 140 km
Uniquely designed 20-inch wheels used front and rear are completely blank to minimize wind gusts in the huts and promote a smoother flow or air on the side. They are equipped with Bridgestone Turanza Eco 185/65 profile tires, the compound and profile of which have been developed specifically for the new car.
It’s the back that really stands out, though. A full-width lightweight graphic runs across the back edge of the boot lid and down the sides. But the real attraction is the diffuser. It automatically extends outward to expand the body and optimize the aerodynamics.
The result of all this is a drag coefficient of 0.17, the lowest ever achieved by Mercedes-Benz in a legal road car. Even more important, says its director of aerodynamics, Teddy Woll, is the relatively small front area of the Vision EQXX, which stands at just 2.12 m2.
“On the typical highway, up to two-thirds of the energy provided by the battery is used to overcome aerodynamic drag,” he says.
In comparison, Mercedes-Benz’s most aerodynamic production road car, the EQS450 + rear-wheel drive sedan, has a drag coefficient of 0.20 and a front surface area of 2.51 m2.
At 4977 mm long, 1870 mm wide and only 1350 mm high, the Vision EQXX is 31 mm longer, 91 mm narrower and 162 mm lower than the EQE sedan. It also has a 310mm shorter wheelbase than Mercedes-Benz’s new 2800mm electric sedan.
With carbon fiber and other light metals used in its construction, as well as aluminum brake discs, among other weight-saving measures, the new concept of Mercedes-Benz comes to the scales with about 1,755 kg, about 285 kg less than the EQA250 hatchback.
The basis of the new concept is a unique rear-wheel drive platform. It is claimed that it incorporates elements of the MMA (Mercedes Modular Architecture) structure that will be used in production models from 2024. A single prototype lithium ion battery, weighing 495 kg, it is mounted inside the ground. Described as “about 100 kWh”, it uses the latest CTP (cell-to-pack) silicon anode technology from Chinese company CATL (Contemporary Amprex Technology Co. Limited) and operates at 900 volts.
The power comes from an electric motor developed and built by the Mercedes-Benz team of engineers based in Germany and its HPP (High-Performance Powertrain) division located in Brixworth, England. Located inside the rear axle, it has a power of 140 kW.
The four doors open wide to offer considerable opening and ease of entry. The hard-backed front seats, with firm cushioning but minimal support, are mounted down and the floor is completely flat.
The front view through the thick angled windshield is excellent, while the direct rear view is non-existent because a series of 117 solar cells covers the area that would otherwise be occupied by a rear window.
The dashboard is low, which contributes to a feeling of comfort further perpetuated by the narrow dimensions. It supports both a multifunction steering wheel and a 47.5-inch wide and 8K curved digital display. Along with a digital dashboard, it hosts a real-time realm of data, including important reading of power consumption. The strong rake of the windshield places the awkward headboard close to your forehead, but otherwise there is a lot to like about the very stylized interior.
When you start in the parking lot of the Mercedes-Benz Design Center, the futuristic-style four-door sedan, whose leather-lined cockpit has four individual seats, is almost silent. There’s a faint but distant moan from the electric motor and some chirping that accompanies it as the power electronics come to life, but it’s nothing that isn’t achieved in production electric cars these days. In fact, the whole car looks and feels in production in many ways. The doors close with a solid touch and the fit and finish of the interior is of a high standard.
The man behind the wheel, Friedemann Flache, is no stranger to Vision EQXX. One of the four engineers appointed to drive the Mercedes-Benz concept, undertook the first stage of last week’s driving test.
“It’s very simple,” he says. “It doesn’t require a very special driving style or anything like that, although to get the most out of it, to really strive to achieve maximum efficiency and autonomy, you need to anticipate situations well in advance. “.
Leaving the public roads of Nice and beyond, it is the smoothness and overall refinement of the Vision EQXX’s advanced transmission that leaves the biggest initial impression. One-off engineering concepts rarely project such deep engineering integrity, but this one feels completely happy advancing on the roads.
When we get a clear run at higher speeds on the freeway, Flache calls a menu to deploy the rear diffuser. Its operation is shown on the dashboard screen, so you can see that it extends.
Meanwhile, the young Mercedes-Benz engineer is paying attention to the electricity used. “We try to keep it at a sweet spot of about 10 to 15 kWh / 100km,” he tells me.
There are four levels of brake energy regeneration that are activated by paddles mounted on the steering wheel. Most of the time, the Vision EQXX is dedicated to D–. Provides a strong deceleration when the accelerator is raised.
Technical data of VISION EQXX Battery energy content < 100 kWh Tensió nominal > 900 V Power consumption 8.7k Wh / 100 km Drag coefficient 0.17 Cd Front 2.12 m² Power 180 kW Wheelbase 2,800 mm Length 4,977 mm Width 50 mm 50 mm, 180, 31 mm Vehicle weight 1,755 kg
Once you get used to the different regeneration modes, you find that you don’t need to physically apply the brakes much. There were a few times during the Stuttgart driving test in Nice that I had to use them consciously. For the most part, however, I relied on the blades and regenerative properties to brake the car. “
Despite the clear focus on efficiency, the rear-wheel drive Vision EQXX has a subtly sporty flavor to its road character. It shows up pretty fast when traffic starts and Flache is able to deploy all the power of the electric motor.
As with all existing Mercedes-Benz electric models, the drive is channeled through a single-speed gearbox. A brief stab of the throttle sees the low sedan pull forward with the right intention before traffic approaches, and we settle into a spinning cruise. Although it clearly has the potential to extend much further, the top speed is limited to 140 km / h.
“It’s more like a precautionary measure than anything else,” says Flache, who reveals that the electric motor and its accessories were thoroughly tested on an EQB prototype before receiving approval for use in the concept.
You don’t hear much wind noise. Being the …