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The company claims that the scope of this concept vehicle is based on computer simulated testing, not reality. However, if the claim is accurate, the EQXX could go further on a single charge than a Toyota Prius hybrid can travel on a full tank of gas, according to estimates from the US Environmental Protection Agency . The Prius only gets 588 miles. The 620 miles is about as far as the 644 that a diesel-powered Chevrolet Suburban can go on a 28-gallon tank of fuel, and it's also much farther than any other electric car currently available in the United States, according to the EPA.
Mercedes plans to demonstrate the car's range this spring in a real test drive. They have also said they intend for half of their sales by 2025 to be electric cars and, by 2030, for the brand to be virtually "ready to go all-electric." The company referred to the EQXX as a "technology model for series production." Mercedes plans to put a car with the EQXX's battery and electric motor technology, as well as some of its other features, into production in 2024, said Markus Schäfer, chief technology officer at Mercedes parent company Daimler.
The EQXX achieves its remarkable range with a battery pack that is half the size and 30% lighter than the Mercedes EQS, the company's current sedan, while storing the same amount of power, according to Mercedes. At 620 miles, or 1,000 kilometers, the EQXX would provide roughly 214 kilometers more driving distance on a charge than the EQS is estimated for that car.
The EQXX gains those extra kilometers in large part through efficiency, Mercedes claims it can travel more than 9 kilometers per kilowatt hour of electricity. That's almost three times more per kilowatt hour than a Tesla Model S Long Range, according to the EPA. A kilowatt-hour is a unit of electrical energy stored in a car battery, so miles per kilowatt hour are like miles per gallon in a gasoline car. However, the numbers are much lower because a gallon of gasoline contains almost 34 kilowatt hours of energy.
To achieve that level of efficiency, Mercedes designers focused on aerodynamics. The car is also designed to be as light as possible, plus the battery pack is relatively light, it has magnesium wheels and aluminum brakes. The EQXX suspension springs are made of glass fiber reinforced plastic instead of metal. And its body includes a net-shaped subframe designed to hold metal only where it's really needed for structural integrity and crashworthiness. The empty spaces in the frame are filled with a material called UBQ, made from landfill waste that can include things like mixed plastics., cardboard, yard waste and even diapers, according to Mercedes-Benz. Solar panels on the roof supply additional power for things like air conditioning, lights, and the car's touchscreen systems, reducing the demand for battery power.
The company claims that the scope of this concept vehicle is based on computer simulated testing, not reality. However, if the claim is accurate, the EQXX could go further on a single charge than a Toyota Prius hybrid can travel on a full tank of gas, according to estimates from the US Environmental Protection Agency . The Prius only gets 588 miles. The 620 miles is about as far as the 644 that a diesel-powered Chevrolet Suburban can go on a 28-gallon tank of fuel, and it's also much farther than any other electric car currently available in the United States, according to the EPA.
Mercedes plans to demonstrate the car's range this spring in a real test drive. They have also said they intend for half of their sales by 2025 to be electric cars and, by 2030, for the brand to be virtually "ready to go all-electric." The company referred to the EQXX as a "technology model for series production." Mercedes plans to put a car with the EQXX's battery and electric motor technology, as well as some of its other features, into production in 2024, said Markus Schäfer, chief technology officer at Mercedes parent company Daimler.
The EQXX achieves its remarkable range with a battery pack that is half the size and 30% lighter than the Mercedes EQS, the company's current sedan, while storing the same amount of power, according to Mercedes. At 620 miles, or 1,000 kilometers, the EQXX would provide roughly 214 kilometers more driving distance on a charge than the EQS is estimated for that car.
The EQXX gains those extra kilometers in large part through efficiency, Mercedes claims it can travel more than 9 kilometers per kilowatt hour of electricity. That's almost three times more per kilowatt hour than a Tesla Model S Long Range, according to the EPA. A kilowatt-hour is a unit of electrical energy stored in a car battery, so miles per kilowatt hour are like miles per gallon in a gasoline car. However, the numbers are much lower because a gallon of gasoline contains almost 34 kilowatt hours of energy.
To achieve that level of efficiency, Mercedes designers focused on aerodynamics. The car is also designed to be as light as possible, plus the battery pack is relatively light, it has magnesium wheels and aluminum brakes. The EQXX suspension springs are made of glass fiber reinforced plastic instead of metal. And its body includes a net-shaped subframe designed to hold metal only where it's really needed for structural integrity and crashworthiness. The empty spaces in the frame are filled with a material called UBQ, made from landfill waste that can include things like mixed plastics., cardboard, yard waste and even diapers, according to Mercedes-Benz. Solar panels on the roof supply additional power for things like air conditioning, lights, and the car's touchscreen systems, reducing the demand for battery power.
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In addition to the UBQ filler material in the body, the EQXX also uses sustainable materials elsewhere. A leather-like material made from mycelium, the subterranean root-shaped structures of fungi, is used in the seat cushions. Another leather substitute, made from pulverized cactus fibers, is used elsewhere in the interior, and rugs are made from bamboo fiber, according to Mercedes.
Inside, the EQXX has a huge touchscreen that stretches across the entire dash. Unlike the "screen" on the EQS, which is actually three smaller screens under a single pane of glass, the one on the EQXX is actually a single four-foot-wide screen. To save power, unused parts of the screen are dimmed. Mercedes engineers and designers have also tried to give the voice control system more personality. The system is represented by a human-shaped avatar made up of small stars. The figure is modeled after the young Mercedes Jellinek, the daughter of Emil Jellinek, one of the early (and particularly demanding) customers of Daimler, now the parent company of Mercedes.
In 1900, Jellinek commissioned a new sports car model that he insisted would be named after his daughter. The car was so successful that its name was later incorporated into all the cars the company made.
The Sierra Club supports innovative technologies that help the environment. Our expectation is that these are not limited to luxury products but that they spread to all kinds of consumer products.
In addition to the UBQ filler material in the body, the EQXX also uses sustainable materials elsewhere. A leather-like material made from mycelium, the subterranean root-shaped structures of fungi, is used in the seat cushions. Another leather substitute, made from pulverized cactus fibers, is used elsewhere in the interior, and rugs are made from bamboo fiber, according to Mercedes.
Inside, the EQXX has a huge touchscreen that stretches across the entire dash. Unlike the "screen" on the EQS, which is actually three smaller screens under a single pane of glass, the one on the EQXX is actually a single four-foot-wide screen. To save power, unused parts of the screen are dimmed. Mercedes engineers and designers have also tried to give the voice control system more personality. The system is represented by a human-shaped avatar made up of small stars. The figure is modeled after the young Mercedes Jellinek, the daughter of Emil Jellinek, one of the early (and particularly demanding) customers of Daimler, now the parent company of Mercedes.
In 1900, Jellinek commissioned a new sports car model that he insisted would be named after his daughter. The car was so successful that its name was later incorporated into all the cars the company made.
The Sierra Club supports innovative technologies that help the environment. Our expectation is that these are not limited to luxury products but that they spread to all kinds of consumer products.
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