Promise of Virtually Double Max Range shows intent to Get in the Game
During the most recent company update from Dailmer AG, Mercedes-Benz teased a new breakthrough in electric car innovation. The automotive manufacturer talked about its plans for developing the Vision EQXX, an EV with more range than ever before.
To be exact, the Vision EQXX aims to have a battery that can go 750 miles off of a single charge; that is the distance from Beijing to Shanghai, in the automakers’ words. Right now the longest range of any EV is just 373 miles, which Tesla only achieved recently with the Model S Long Range.
In order attain this audacious goal, Mercedes insists on not just packing the EQXX with an oversized battery, but developing new technology that offers unprecedented efficiency. Research is already being done at the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart and the Mercedes-Benz F1 HPP group in the UK.
“This is a serious project, chasing next generation technologies. We intend to incorporate the learning into the next generation of series production cars.”
Markus Schafer / head of Mercedes-Benz R&D
The project is still in its earliest stages, though. Right now, there is no word about when Mercedes might release a prototype or even any design concepts for the EQXX. We don’t know if it will run on the same kind of Electric Vehicle Architecture as Mercedes’ previous EVs—all EQE sedans and SUVs still in development—or if it will have an entirely different infrastructure.
50% by 2030 if Ambitious but will need to Be Minimum is Planet to Survive
Regardless, Mercedes reportedly hopes EVs will account for 50 percent of sales by the end of the decade. If it achieves the 750-mile range goal, then the EQXX will be a huge leap for technology as well as business.
Likewise, it will drive the market in a capitalist society. Car manufacturer Lucid is already trying to surpass Tesla with a 500 mile range EV. If Mercedes then ups the ante even further, it will cause all the competition to play catch up and optimistically lead to even more innovations.
At the end of the day, the growing EV market is dependent on innovation. While SpaceX once had dominance over EVs with Tesla, traditional car companies from Mercedes to Ford to Volkswagen are now joining the party. In order to stand out, these automakers will need to think big and get creative.
And in the process, it will make for a cleaner planet.
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