Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX prototype shape teased

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The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX will soon make its debut, boasting the longest range of any electric vehicle to date.

Mercedes is gearing up for the launch of the Vision EQXX prototype electric car, which could make its debut later today at the brand’s strategy event that will detail its future of e-mobility.

The EQXX EV was first teased last year, with Mercedes claiming it will have the longest electric range and highest efficiency of any battery-powered vehicle ever built. The brand has released a new teaser image, which offers a slightly clearer look at the car’s styling compared with the original silhouetted profile shot of the car.

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The prototype was first teased during Mercedes’s 2020 strategy update. The firm is yet to release any technical information, but a presentation slide teased “Beijing to Shanghai on one charge?” suggesting that the concept will have a range of at least 1200km.

Engineers working on the project claim that, rather than increasing battery capacity (and with it, weight), improving a car’s aerodynamic efficiency is key to unlocking such a long range figure. Mercedes engineers explained: “The easiest way is to put a bigger battery in the car, but it leads to diminishing returns. The key is efficiency of vehicle and powertrain.”

Mercedes’s latest teaser image hints at this focus on aerodynamic efficiency. The prototype has a very small frontal area, while the transition from the bonnet to the windscreen has a shallow rake to aid airflow. Vents and gills have been kept to a minimum, too, with the only noticeable intakes being mounted on the bonnet.

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Sadly, the EQXX won’t directly spawn a new Mercedes EV. It’s expected to be a one-off prototype, designed to showcase the technological prowess of the Mercedes EQ brand. However, bosses have confirmed that the learnings from the prototype will filter down into the brand’s future series production models.

Speaking at the 2020 strategy event, Markus Schafer, head of Mercedes’s Research and Development department, said: “Today I want to share our plans to go really beyond, to see a new frontier of range and efficiency. To find a new way of working, to speed up product development and tech advancement.

“We have set up a group of our engineers to take on an extraordinary task, to build the longest and highest efficiency electric car the world has ever seen. This is a serious project, chasing next-generation technologies. We intend to incorporate the learning into the next generation of series production cars.”

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