Mercedes has put its EQXX concept to the test in an augural road trip that saw the electric saloon travel more than 1,000km (620 miles) in everyday traffic, on a single battery charge. 

The inaugural journey for the EQXX on the roads of Europe saw it travel from the Mercedes plant in Sindelfingen across the Swiss Alps and Northern Italy, to its destination of Cassis on the Côte d’Azur

Revealed at this year’s CES show, the concept previews the brand’s future electric vehicles and “demonstrates just how efficient, sustainable and luxurious electromobility can be”. 

Its inaugural journey on the roads of Europe saw it travel from the Mercedes plant in Sindelfingen across the Swiss Alps and Northern Italy, to its destination of Cassis on the Côte d’Azur. 

Proving its real-world attributes, the journey started in cold and rainy conditions, and was undertaken at regular road speeds, including prolonged fast-lane cruising at up to 140km/h (87mph) on the German autobahn and near the speed limit elsewhere. The battery’s state of charge on arrival was around 15%, amounting to a remaining range of around 140km (87 miles), and the average consumption was a record-breaking low of 8.7kWh per 100 kilometers. 

Its record-breaking work was officially validated by having the charging socket sealed and the journey accompanied by an independent expert from certification body TÜV Süd. 

Ola Källenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said: “We did it! Powering through more than 1,000 kilometers with ease on a single battery charge and a consumption of only 8.7 kWh/100 km in real-world traffic conditions. The Vision EQXX is the most efficient Mercedes ever built. The technology programme behind it marks a milestone in the development of electric vehicles. It underpins our strategic aim to ‘Lead in Electric’.” 

The brand added that many of the innovative developments in the EQXX are already being integrated into production, some of them in the next generation of modular architecture for compact and midsize Mercedes Benz vehicles. 

“With the Vision EQXX, we will keep testing the limits of what’s possible,” added Markus Schäfer, member of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and chief technology officer responsible for Development and Purchasing. 

Described as a software-defined research prototype, the EQXX teams up lightweight construction with a drivetrain claimed to have world-leading efficiency; 95% of the energy stored in the battery reaches the wheels, compared to around 30% for an ICE vehicle and apparently 50% for an average human long-distance runner. 

It also debuts new battery tech with significantly improved energy density that enables it to store 100kWh, whilst taking up 50% less space and weighing 30% less than batteries with comparable capacity, such as in the EQS. 

The EQXX is expected to provide the basis for cars arriving from 2024 onwards.