- Mercedes-Benz unveils the newest model of its electric fleet.
- The car will have 117 solar modules on its roof.
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has launched the latest model of its electric fleet, Vision EQXX, with 117 solar modules on its roof.
According to the carmaker, the ultra-thin roof panels will feed the battery system up to 25 km of extra range on long-distance journeys on a single day and under ideal conditions. The energy generated by the solar cells is stored in a lithium-iron-phosphate battery and is used to power the climate blower, the lights, the infotainment system and other ancillaries. In the future, the carmaker plans to use Mercedes-Benz solar power to charge the high-voltage system, too.
The company claims that it is the most efficient car it has ever built, with energy consumption of less than 10kWh per 100 km and a range of more than 1,000 km on a single charge. The car is equipped with a battery pack with almost 100kWh of energy. The carmaker, in a statement, explained that the battery is 50 per cent smaller and weighs 30 per cent less than the already benchmark pack in EQS to fit into a compact car.
Mercedes developed the vehicle in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE.