Mercedes prototype travels 1,000 kilometers without recharging (and consumes much less)

Markus Schaefer, head of research and development at the German company, said the model, called the EQXX, uses technology that will be in cars in two to three years. For example, the car was equipped with an aerodynamic appearance and made of lighter materials. In addition, the model has improved braking energy recovery, a lighter battery, rooftop solar panels for power systems and a drive system with very little power loss.

Mercedes said in a statement that the car covered a distance of 1,008 kilometers from the research center in Sindelfingen in southern Germany to Cassis on the French Riviera. The car took just under 12 hours to complete the trip and will still have 140km of range on arrival.

Germany – Southern France

According to Schaefer, the trip from Germany to southern France was a good opportunity to test “different features” of the roads, temperatures and slopes. The car also traveled through the Alps, for example. Mercedes-Benz aims to adopt the new technology on a large scale by 2024.

The car’s consumption was 8.7 kWh per 100 km. This made the car at least twice as efficient as current models. The electric S-Class, the car manufacturer’s current top-of-the-line electric model with a value of over €100,000, on paper consumes between 16 and 17 kWh per 100 kilometres. In real conditions, this is often more. Range 780 km according to the WLTP standard.

The Tesla Model 3 and Model S, which are seen as rivals, have a range of 650 kilometers, according to WLTP. The consumption of cars is usually between 16 and 20 kWh per 100 km