Mercedes wants to tackle the new prototype with the ‘range anxiety’ of electric vehicles | Automotive News

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the VISION EQXX prototype, which it says can cover 1,000 km (621 miles) per load.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its battery-powered VISION EQXX prototype on Monday and says it will have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers per charge, making great strides in its electric vehicle (EV) plans.

Daimler, soon to be named Mercedes-Benz, announced plans to invest more than $ 40 billion ($ 45 billion) in 2021 to take over Tesla in the electric car market by 2030, including the construction of an eight-battery plant. From 2025 onwards, all new vehicle platforms will only make electric vehicles, he said.

The VISION EQXX, named the most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever built, will have an energy consumption of less than 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per 100 kilometers, Daimler said.

Tesla’s Model S 60 currently consumes 18.1 kWh at the same distance, according to data from its website.

“How do we envision the future of Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX electric cars,” said Ola Kaellenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz.

Daimler will test the prototype in various types of land before the middle of the year, Technology CEO Markus Schaefer told reporters on Monday.

Some of the prototype components would be available in Mercedes-Benz vehicles within two to three years, Schaefer said. However, the CTO declined to specify when it would be ready to market the 1,000km duration.

“We’re probably going to be the first to show a 1,000km car in real life with such a small battery,” Schaefer said.

It is a “market decision” when this vehicle will be sold once the car manufacturer has determined how much range customers would expect and what they will be willing to pay once it is determined.

The prototype, built within 18 months, “puts an end to the anxiety of the range,” said Mercedes-Benz, referring to one of the main obstacles to the fact that the electric vehicle has not been in greater demand.

This required the development of a new battery pack, which the company says would fit into a compact vehicle and its energy density (measuring how much power the batteries can have compared to their size) is about 400 watts per hour.