Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX First Drive
Mercedes-Benz is introducing the Vision EQXX Concept, a very promising glimpse into the future of EVs.
The Media had the chance to witness the most recent try-outs of the new model at the Immendingen Test Center. Reaching this phase of testing so fast was a surprise in itself, such complicated concept cars usually take years to be developed, but the Vision EQXX matured in just 18 months.
At first glance you notice that the EQXX is a robust well-crafted car, resembling a production-ready car more than just a fragile concept. The car had an impressive record even before this round of testing, the Vision EQXX scored spectacular range figures, it has completed the journey from Stuttgart, Germany, to the UK's Silverstone Circuit on a single charge, totaling 747-mile. Breaking its own record of 621-mile from Sindelfingen, Germany, to Cassis, France.
But this phase of tests doesn’t require such strenuous work. It only consists of a limited number of 10-mile laps around the highway-like circuit.
Surprisingly, Mercedes-Benz didn’t have to sacrifice anything in terms of comfort or performance to gain those massive range figures the car runs as smoothly as you can imagine.
On the first lap, different drivers had to drive the EQXX as efficiently as possible. Trying to find out how economic the car can be in terms of energy consumption. In practice, this means going easy on the gas paddle of course, and the brakes as well.
Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX First Drive
The happy surprise that everyone discovered while driving is that the aerodynamics of the car are doing most of the job. The body’s low fluid design helps the car to maintain a constant speed effortlessly, so the accelerations and braking become less frequent, lowering the power consumption as a result.
The secrete for such efficient aerodynamic design is due in part to the new air curtain on the leading edge of the front wheel wells, channeling air to a breather on the trailing edge, reducing turbulence from the semi-flush magnesium rollers.
So now we know that the key to the successful long-distance cruise to Cassis and Silverstone is this magnificent bodywork, done by Mercedes-Benz.
On the Immendingen the car scored numbers as low as just 7.4 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers (8.4 miles per kWh), making it almost three times more efficient than the production EVs we have currently.
Now to the more exciting part, on the second lap, drivers had the chance to test the car’s true performance abilities, away from the lame economic driving style.
The EQXX runs on a single motor. With 3,858 pounds and 241 horsepower, the EQXX has a better weight-to-power ratio than the EQS 450, Volkswagen ID.4, and the Polestar 2. Giving it a unique advantage in acceleration and top speed. Of course, it cannot be compared to a high-performance EV like the Tesla Model S or the Porsche Taycan, but it can certainly compete with any other single motor EV out there.
The one flaw that the EQXX currently has is the somewhat unstable handling, especially when dealing with tricky corners. Even if the steering felt well calibrated, the weight balance seemed a bit off. Resulting in some unnecessary extra movement. The participating drivers took notice of this even if they refrained from pushing the car too hard, on the grounds that it’s a precious concept car and all. Such problems are to be expected when you consider the record development time that the car had.
Still, the EQXX represents a role model for future EVs, especially on how to achieve big range figures without the need for equally big batteries.
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