No charger, no problem: Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX completes 1,010 km trip across the Arabian desert
Arvind · Mar 18, 2024 07:00 PM
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In its latest feat, the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept vehicle has completed a road trip of over 1,000 km across the Arabian desert, covering the distance between the city centres of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, UAE.
This is the third time the Vision EQXX has managed to cover over 1,000 kilometres on a single charge - but it's first in desert heat; the other two journeys were from Sindelfingen, Germany to Cassis, France and Untertürkheim, Germany to Silverstone in the UK.
The Vision EQXX performed more efficiently in hot, dry heat than in colder European temperatures
Starting from the Mercedes-Benz Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Vision EQXX completed a route 1,010 km Mercedes-Benz Brand Center in Dubai, UAE, taking a total time of 14 hours and 42 minutes.
The Vision EQXX still had 309 kilometres of range left when it arrived in Dubai. The route incorporated urban and sub-urban sections in Riyadh and Dubai as well as lengthy highway sections.
Overall the Vision EQXX delivered an impressive electric power consumption of just 7.4 kWh/100km, translating to an approximate equivalent fuel efficiency of just 0.9 litres/100 km, setting a new benchmark in energy efficiency, especially under the extreme ambient temperatures of up to 34 degrees Celsius during the journey.
Much of this efficiency comes from the vehicle’s advanced thermal management system, which incorporates a multi-source heat pump to maintain both the drivetrain and cabin temperatures.
Elsewhere, it has an incredibly slippery body. With a small frontal area of 2.12 m² and a drag coefficient value of 0.17, it gives the wind virtually nothing to grab hold of. It starts with the basic shape of the body, cradling the dome of the greenhouse as it flows like a water droplet towards the rear.
Additionally, the trip provided an opportunity to evaluate the efficiency of the solar roof equipped with 117 solar cells, which supports the vehicle's ancillary systems.
This feature contributed an additional 24 km to the vehicle's range by harvesting 1.8 kWh of solar energy during the journey, underscoring the potential of solar power in enhancing electric vehicle (EV) efficiency.
Note, however, that the Vision EQXX is not a production vehicle but a concept car that's meant to act as a testbed for future EV technologies and design.
That said, more than two years after it was unveiled, the Vision EQXX remains an eye-catching crowd-puller. During that time, it has also covered 23,340 kilometres testing its pioneering electric technology and aerodynamics efficiency under a wide range of demanding driving conditions.
Arvind can't remember a time when he didn't wheel around a HotWheels car. This love evolved into an interest in Tamiya and RC cars and finally the real deal 1:1 scale stuff. Passion finally lead to formal training in Mechanical Engineering. Instead of the bigger picture, he obsesses with the final drive ratio and spring rates of cars and spends the weekends wondering why a Perodua Myvi is so fast.
