Photo: Mercedes-Benz
The Vision EQXX electric vehicle (EV) from Mercedes-Benz has set a new record for range, travelling 747 miles (1,202 km) from the company’s home base in Stuttgart, Germany to the Silverstone racetrack in the U.K. on a single charge — reports CNET.
Mercedes’s Vision EQXX toppled its own previous record, which was 626.3 miles (1,007 km) on a single charge.
What’s more, the car arrived at the Silverstone racetrack with plenty of charge remaining. As such, Mercedes Formula E driver and former champion Nyck de Vries took the Vision EQXX on a few laps around the course.
Vries hit the vehicle’s 87-mph top speed and managed to complete 11 laps around the circuit before the battery was finally depleted. On its way to Silverstone, averaged 52 mph and consumed an average of 8.3 kWh per 100km (62 miles).
In total, the EQXX drove for 14 hours and 30 minutes to get to the Silverstone racetrack. The air conditioning was on for eight of those hours. The EQXX is equipped with a multisource heat pump and physically optimized for air conditioning, so climate control doesn’t take much of a bite out of the total range.
In addition, the climate was warmer and there was more stop-and-go traffic than the EQXX’s previous record run. The Vision EQXX is now on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Mercedes’s Vision EQXX may only be a concept car right now, but many of its features will undoubtedly be transplanted into the company’s other EVs over the next few years and the work Mercedes has done on it will help drive the development of its electric portfolio. The German luxury vehicle maker plans to go all-electric by 2030.
