New sobriety record set by the Mercedes VISION EQXX

The Mercedes VISION EQXX recorded just 7.4 kWh/100 km on a 100% electric trip from Riyadh to Dubai.

During a long-distance road trip of over 1,000 kilometers, the technological program VISION EQXX demonstrated that even the Arabian desert is not an obstacle to energy efficiency. On a challenging route comprising the busy streets of Riyadh and Dubai, and the desert, the pioneering test vehicle displayed an electric energy consumption of 7.4 kWh/100 km. This is equivalent to about 0.9 liters/100 km in thermal fuel. Under ambient temperatures reaching up to 34 degrees Celsius, the VISION EQXX significantly beat its previous record.

When you’re in the desert in a Mercedes

The starting point was the Mercedes-Benz center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The final destination was the newly opened Mercedes-Benz Brand Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 1,010 km route was covered in 14 hours and 42 minutes. Departing from Riyadh at 4:15 a.m. with a full battery, the VISION EQXX still had 309 kilometers of range upon arrival in Dubai at 7:57 p.m. The itinerary included urban and suburban stretches in Riyadh and Dubai with heavy traffic, as well as long highway segments across the desert.

The intelligent system kept the electric transmission and cabin cool. Notably, the air conditioning system operated throughout the trip with minimal negative impact on energy efficiency, partly thanks to the multi-source heat pump.

The desert sun also provided engineers with an opportunity to closely examine the performance of the VISION EQXX’s solar roof. The 117 solar cells are used to power many auxiliaries, thus reducing the energy consumption of the high-voltage system and further improving overall efficiency. On the journey to Dubai, the system collected 1.8 kWh of solar energy, equivalent to about 24 km of total range.