- Mercedes -Engineers drove from Stuttgart in Germany to Malmo, Sweden
- The trip of 749 Mile was made on a single charge
- Endeavor proves the energy density of future battery packages in fixed state
Mercedes-Benz continues to demonstrate the power of his solid-state battery technology, with its latest road trip covering a staggering 749 miles on a single charge.
Its team of engineers loaded the EQS testing vehicle in Stuttgart, Germany and took the scenic route to Malmo in Sweden. Calculated using electric intelligence-Marques smart route planning software journey incorporated into topography, traffic, ambient temperature and energy requirements for heating and cooling to maximize the range.
The German brand, which has already set several electric vehicle spacing records with its highly optimized EQXX Rolling Laboratory, is eager to point out that the EQs used in their latest endeavor were only changed easily.
Existing lithium-ion packages were replaced to lithium metal-fixed fabric cells developed by US-based manufacturer’s factorial energy. The package itself was merged by Mercedes-AMG High Performance PowerTrains, which specializes in F1 technology.
Although the weight and size of the solid battery can be compared to the current EQS technology, the applicable energy content is apparently 25% greater, while additional energy efficiency savings were made through passive air flow cooling.
This resulted in a bladder-busting road trip that actually surpassed the previous record set by Vision Eqxx on its Stuttgart-Silverstone route with just shy for two miles. In fact, the Fast-State packages still boasted 85 miles back when the EQs arrived at its destination.
A solid case for solid
Many car brands are deep in the research phase of Solid-State Battery Tech, while a number of level 1 vendors and specialists push the technology forward.
At this year’s IAA Mobility Show in Munich, Rimac showed its development in the area, while the VW group shot a small solid battery pack into a Ducati motorcycle so it could undergo a strict test on the race cycle.
MG is ready to be the first to release a mass-produced semi-fast battery in the upcoming MG4 update, which is cheaper and a little easier to manufacture, while IM Motors and Nio in China already have models for sale. BMW also has demonstration i7 models running all fixed state prismatic cells developed by Colorado-based battery-start-up solid power.
Currently, the complex manufacturing processes and the high costs involved so far prevented all solid-state battery technology from reaching critical mass, but it is only a matter of time.
