Mercedes-Benz mentioned its battery-powered Imaginative and prescient EQXX prototype, which it says is able to being pushed greater than 1,000 km (621 miles) on a single cost, is the “best and aerodynamic car” it has constructed thus far.
The Imaginative and prescient EQXX’s battery and weight-saving applied sciences are designed to fight the problem from Tesla.
“This is not a present automobile however a protagonist for know-how improvement,” mentioned Markus Schaefer, Daimler’s head of improvement. “Mercedes has labored arduous in the previous few years — it’s our ambition to not solely sustain however to be on the high of the sport.”
The prototype demonstrates effectivity enhancements within the electrical motor, inverter, battery design, packaging and thermal administration.
The battery pack holds practically 100 kilowatt-hours of power and it has a brand new chemistry developed with the assistance of Method 1 specialists from the Mercedes-AMG Excessive Efficiency Powertrains division within the UK.
The pack has 50 p.c much less quantity and is 30 p.c lighter than that of the EQS, the model’s present flagship electrical car. It’s sufficiently small to suit into compact automobiles.
It is going to have power consumption of lower than 10 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 km (effectivity of greater than 6 miles per kWh), Mercedes mentioned. Tesla’s Mannequin S 60 at the moment consumes 18.1 kWh over the identical distance, information on its web site reveals.
To realize elevated effectivity with out growing the battery’s footprint, engineers elevated the silicon content material within the battery anodes. The battery pack was additionally redesigned to suit extra cells whereas decreasing general weight.
Engineers used a brand new one-part casting technique to kind a significant aluminum part because the rear of the automobile, paying homage to Elon Musk’s much-touted Giga press.
“This challenge was about breaking down limitations for our designers and engineers to work as a workforce throughout completely different areas and a variety of disciplines to share the very best concepts,” Schaefer mentioned.
The Imaginative and prescient EQXX has a thermal-management system that helps restrict power loss. A mix of aero shutters, coolant valves and water pumps ensures the electrical drivetrain maintains a really perfect temperature.
A cooling plate put in within the car flooring takes benefit of the air flowing alongside the underside and helps the Imaginative and prescient EQXX squeeze an extra 19 km (12 miles) of vary.
Effectivity enhancements usually are not restricted to the drivetrain. “Extremely-thin” photo voltaic roof panels assist ship as much as 25 km (16 miles) of extra vary.
The idea was revealed Monday at a web-based occasion and was to be the centerpiece of the model’s stand at CES in Las Vegas. Mercedes pulled out of the present final week, citing the worldwide unfold of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The automaker will test-drive the prototype earlier than the center of the 12 months on numerous sorts of terrain, Schaefer mentioned.
Some elements of the prototype can be out there in Mercedes automobiles inside two to 3 years, he mentioned. Nonetheless, Schaefer declined to specify when the 1,000 km-range battery can be market-ready.
“We’ll possible be the primary to point out a 1,000 km-range automobile in actual life, with such a small battery,” Schaefer mentioned.
When such a car would go on sale is a “market determination” to be decided as soon as the carmaker had established how a lot vary prospects anticipated and what they’d be prepared to pay, he mentioned.
The Imaginative and prescient EQXX inside is a examine in superior software program and sustainable supplies.
The cockpit is anchored by a sweeping 47.5-inch high-resolution show that spans the car’s A-pillars.
To scale back power consumption — essential in an electrical car — engineers tweaked the speaker structure, positioning them near the occupants and decreasing the gap the sound travels. Two audio system in every headrest, paired with a bass exciter within the seats, not solely transmit sound from the music system however haptic suggestions and auditory warnings, too.
The ground carpets are comprised of bamboo fiber, whereas the door pulls use a high-strength, vegan silk-like cloth.
Mercedes has a purpose of solely promoting totally electrical vehicles by 2030 the place potential and has vowed to defend its place because the world’s greatest luxurious carmaker with an accelerated 40 billion euro ($45 billion) spending plan.
The corporate this 12 months unveiled the EQS, the S-Class’s electrical sibling, which it says an industry-leading driving vary of as much as 770 km (478 miles) below Europe’s WLTP testing regime.
Reuters and Bloomberg contributed to this report