German car giant Mercedes-Benz set out to diffuse concerns about electric vehicle range anxiety by taking its latest concept car on a massive single-charge trek across the Arabian Desert.
The Vision EQXX has been driven from Riyadh to Dubai on a single battery charge earlier this month, covering a massive 627.6 miles in almost 15 hours without having to stop.
The aerodynamic car set a new efficiency record by travelling 8.4 miles per kilowatt hour (kWh) and completed the trip in baking hot conditions with 192 miles of range remaining.
While the EQXX is only a prototype model for now, Mercedes bosses have promised that its tech will be filtered down into its production EVs before the end of the decade.
One charge wonder: The Mercedes EQXXX electric car concept has just set a new EV efficiency record by achieving 8.4 miles per kWh on a 1,000km-plus journey across the Arabian Desert
This isn't the first long-distance voyage the ground-breaking EQXX has undertaken.
In fact, it's the third time it has covered more than 1,000 kilometres (621.4 miles) without stopping at a charging point.
It's part of the German marque's extensive technology programme to demonstrate the capabilities of EVs using the latest advancements, which has seen the car cover 14,503 miles of testing in real-life conditions so far.
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On the 8 March, it endured what Mercedes calls a 'challenging route profile' that included busy city streets and straight-line blasts across the open Arabian Desert at an ambient temperature of 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit).
The EQXX is expected to perform well in these conditions, given it has a roof made up of 117 solar cells.
The solar panels power many of the ancillaries to reduce the energy drain on the car's battery. And on the entire drive, the system harvested 1.8 kWh of solar energy, adding around 15 miles to the range.
The starting point for the efficiency drive on the Arabian Peninsula was the Mercedes-Benz Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, leaving at 4:15am
Having crossed the desert, it arrived at its destination - the new Mercedes-Benz Brand Centre in Dubai, Trade routes UAE - at 7:57pm the same day
The starting point for the efficiency drive on the Arabian Peninsula was the Mercedes-Benz Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, departing at 4:15am.
The destination was the recently opened Mercedes-Benz showroom in Dubai, UAE, some 1,010km (627.6 miles) away.
Arriving at 7:57pm the same day, the journey time was 14 hours and 42 minutes in total.
However, that also included the time at a standstill while waiting in traffic, driver swaps and stationary period while at the border having paperwork checked.
The total time moving was 12 hours and 45 minutes, Mercedes said.
The Vision EQXX has been driven from Riyadh to Dubai on a single battery charge earlier this month, covering a massive 627.6 miles in almost 15 hours without having to stop.The aerodynamic car set a new efficiency record by travelling 8.4 miles per kilowatt hour (kWh) and completed the trip in baking hot conditions with 192 miles of range remaining.
While the EQXX is only a prototype model for now, Mercedes bosses have promised that its tech will be filtered down into its production EVs before the end of the decade.
One charge wonder: The Mercedes EQXXX electric car concept has just set a new EV efficiency record by achieving 8.4 miles per kWh on a 1,000km-plus journey across the Arabian Desert
This isn't the first long-distance voyage the ground-breaking EQXX has undertaken.
In fact, it's the third time it has covered more than 1,000 kilometres (621.4 miles) without stopping at a charging point.
It's part of the German marque's extensive technology programme to demonstrate the capabilities of EVs using the latest advancements, which has seen the car cover 14,503 miles of testing in real-life conditions so far.
RELATED ARTICLES
Previous
1
Next
Electric cars will be CHEAPER to make than petrols by 2027 -... Bentley boss blasts Labour plans to bring back the 2030... Skoda's electric Epiq will have a 248-mile range and a...
Share this article
Share
HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP
How to save money on car insurance: Ten top tips to cut the cost in just a few minutes
On the 8 March, it endured what Mercedes calls a 'challenging route profile' that included busy city streets and straight-line blasts across the open Arabian Desert at an ambient temperature of 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit).
The EQXX is expected to perform well in these conditions, given it has a roof made up of 117 solar cells.
The solar panels power many of the ancillaries to reduce the energy drain on the car's battery. And on the entire drive, the system harvested 1.8 kWh of solar energy, adding around 15 miles to the range.
The starting point for the efficiency drive on the Arabian Peninsula was the Mercedes-Benz Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, leaving at 4:15am
Having crossed the desert, it arrived at its destination - the new Mercedes-Benz Brand Centre in Dubai, Trade routes UAE - at 7:57pm the same day
The starting point for the efficiency drive on the Arabian Peninsula was the Mercedes-Benz Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, departing at 4:15am.
The destination was the recently opened Mercedes-Benz showroom in Dubai, UAE, some 1,010km (627.6 miles) away.
Arriving at 7:57pm the same day, the journey time was 14 hours and 42 minutes in total.
However, that also included the time at a standstill while waiting in traffic, driver swaps and stationary period while at the border having paperwork checked.
The total time moving was 12 hours and 45 minutes, Mercedes said.
