The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept promises a 1,000km range but you’ll have to conceptualise that as well

The paradigm shift towards electric vehicles is still met with much scepticism for the same reasons Taylor Swift can’t seem to settle down; limitations of modern science. This has inclined carmakers to prioritise performance over range with EVs; something that defeats the purpose of going electric. Good thing Mercedes-Benz is coming at it from the opposite end with the compact Vision EQXX that strives for range and a relatively modest power output.

Virtually unveiled at the CES technology showcase in Las Vegas, the EQXX is a much-needed reality check for carmakers and their approach to EVs with its focus on range at the expense of performance.

Power output is a modest 201 hp but Stuttgart promises over 1,000km of range on a single charge. Here’s the caveat though; the range is just like the car’s existence… conceptual. Mercedes-Benz claims it’s the results of “digital simulations based on real-life traffic conditions.”

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That’s the equivalent of saying I could very well talk Taylor Swift into going on a date with me because I’ve dated crazy women before so she should say yes as well.

Nonetheless, the EQXX appears to be more of a showcase for next-generation advances rather than a future production model as the carmaker states it’s meant to serve as a “technology blueprint for series production.”

Details are scarce, which isn’t out of the norm for a concept. Dimensionally, the EQXX is quite compact. The only numbers to go by is the wheelbase of 110.0 inches (279.4 cm), a smidgen longer than the 107.4 inches (272.8 cm) of the A-Class sedan but definitely more than a smidgen dishier.

Interestingly however is the width; or rather the lack of it at the rear. The EQXX is 2.0 inches (5.1 cm) narrower at the rear than the front, which is responsible for the super-slippery drag coefficient of just 01.7.

Very much a function over form design, the EQXX still identifies as a traditional sedan but incorporates plenty of modernistic cues such as the shallow angle of the falling roofline and the retro droop at the rear fenders. The bodywork tucking in beneath the rear lighting element is to aid aero and the diffuser is active; motoring out at a preset speed.

Further exemplifying the functionality of the design, Mercedes-Benz claims the teardrop shape can travel 6.0 miles (9.6 km) on just 1.0 kWh of electrical energy. In internal combustion speak, that’s about 202 miles (325 km); pretty close to what Stuttgart claims as “the golden figure of one liter per 100 kilometers”.

Mercedes-Benz further claims a driveline efficiency of 95 per cent. Even the best internal combustion mills struggle to surpass 35 per cent. Much of that can be owed to the compact battery pack that is 50 per cent smaller and 30 per cent lighter than the 107.8-kWh pack in the EQS.

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The pack was developed together with AMG’s High Performance Powertrains division; the very same people responsible for the nuclear reactor powering the Mercedes-AMG F1 car and the faux road version in the AMG One hypercar.

It weighs in at 1,091 pounds (495 kg) but operates at a whopping 900 volts, courtesy of high silicon anodes capable of holding more energy than lesser cells. The aforementioned weight contributes to the overall poundage of 3,858 pounds (1,750 kg).

Unsurprisingly, the EQXX has only one motor that drives the rear to keep weight down. Solar panels on the roof can add up to 15 miles (24 km) on a sunny day. However, that is from alleviating the power consumption of the blower fan, lights, infotainment and other ancillaries rather than directly driving the car.

The entire dash is an LED screen that runs across the full width of it, unbroken by vertical seams. No surprise here as it follows in the footsteps of the Hyperscreen from the EQS. You’ll find the 8K resolution and 7680-by-660-pixel display more than impressive but perhaps also rather distracting.

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Appealing to the tree-huggers, the interior ticks a number of sustainability boxes with two types of vegan leather, carpets made from bamboo and there's trim that contains recycled plastics woven into a shimmering fabric.

While nobody is expecting the EQXX to actually make it into a showroom, it’s showcase of purported future tech spells an interesting story for not just the features of future Mercedes-Benz models but also the design.