The VISION EQXX from Mercedes-Benz has completed a European road trip from Sindelfingen, Germany, across the Swiss Alps and Northern Italy, to its destination of Cassis on the Côte d’Azur covering more than 1,000 km in everyday driving conditions on a single battery charge. 

The journey involved cruising at up to 140 km/h on the German autobahn as well as numerous climbs. Demonstrating its efficiency the battery’s state of charge on arrival was around 15%. The trip was certified by the certification body TÜV Süd. Mercedes engineers described it as a new benchmark for electric vehicle efficiency. 

The VISION EQXX is the most efficient electric Mercedes ever built. The car features unique aerodynamics, with a reduced rear track. This means the car is 50 mm narrower at the rear than at the front, allowing the rear wheels to roll in the slipstream of the front wheels. The active rear diffuser, which automatically deploys at 60 km/h, provides better airflow and thus contributes significantly to the reduced drag.

Other efficiency features include; extremely low rolling-resistance Bridgestone tyres, with a larger diameter and a narrower tread, lightweight body construction and highly efficient regenerative braking energy recovery. It also has a solar roof which powers the 12-volt battery, which supplies power to auxiliary system to further boost range by 2%.