Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX: A future Hall of Famer for EVs

“Perhaps most remarkable about this EQXX experiment is that the car isn’t running on next-generation supercapacitors or solid-state batteries but instead on an optimized lithium-ion architecture rated at 920 volts. But the automaker considers its air-cooling of the module, as well as the battery management system and overall packaging, to be groundbreaking.

“With Formula 1 thinking, Mercedes’ battery chemists squeezed the energy of the larger EQS all-electric sedan into the dimensions of a compact car. Relative to the EQS’s 107.8-kWh battery, the pack in the EQXX is half the size and 30 percent lighter. The EQXX uses active cell balancing, which means drawing energy evenly from the cells, giving it greater stamina. The battery weighs 1,091 pounds, including its electronic controls.

“You’re probably reading this wondering, why doesn’t Mercedes just produce this EQXX that could rapidly accelerate the arrival of the tipping point for electric vehicles over conventional gasoline ones?

“It’s not a simple answer. The engineers got to throw every weight-saving idea at this development project because Stuttgart’s goal was a concept car that could drive at least 1000 km (621 miles) on a single charge, no matter the cost. Engineers rarely ever hear those last four words, so the ideas came pouring in.

“Many of the lightweight strategies got baked into the finished product, such as the ultra-thin solar roof, a subframe derived from Formula 1 racecars, a lightweight battery case, doors made of carbon- and glass-fiber reinforced plastics, aluminum brake discs (in place of cast steel), glass-fiber-reinforced plastic springs, and magnesium wheels wearing slim tires optimized for ultra-low rolling resistance rather than grip.

“With so much moonshot technology onboard, it’s no surprise the development team hesitates to put a pricetag on this futuristic prototype. Think seven figures.”

— Tom Murphy, Autoweek