Mercedes has given a glimpse into the future of battery technology after completing a demonstration trip across three countries with an all-electric EQS – without needing to recharge.
The EQS was modified with a solid state battery back in August to allow Mercedes to carry out a series of real-world tests of the technology, which is expected to revolutionise electric motoring in the coming years.
Whilst most current EVs make use of lithium-ion batteries, solid state batteries are anticipated to be cheaper, more efficient and longer lasting, with a number of manufacturers – including Toyota, Nissan and BMW – known to be working on ways to bring the technology into mainstream production.
The solid state battery fitted to the EQS has been developed in collaboration with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth; the same company that is responsible for building the Mercedes engines used in Formula 1.
Mercedes took the EQS from Stuttgart to Malmo without stopping to charge, with the 1,205km journey being 3km further than the Vision EQXX had managed previously.
Even more impressive was the fact that there was still more than 100km of range left at the end of the journey, which saw the car follow a route through Denmark that had been calculated to be the most efficient, and which avoided the need to use a ferry.
“The solid-state battery is a true gamechanger for electric mobility,” Markus Schäfer, Mercedes Chief Technology Officer, said. “With the successful long-distance drive of the EQS, we show that this technology delivers not only in the lab but also on the road.
“Our goal is to bring innovations like this into series production by the end of the decade and offer our customers a new level of range and comfort.”
- Mercedes
- Electric