Mercedes EQXX; the family sized EV with a 1200km range on a single charge. How is this possible?

[@glyno5594]

Fascinating to see a car designed by engineers, not the marketing / finance department who want to service the obsession with overblown SUVs.

[@Craig-zq2qx]

Totally agree, but if you dial back the aggressive KERs setting the police escort to reduce stop starting of real life driving and all the uber expensive bespoke materials then your left with a car that will perform relative to the upcoming Solid State battery cars from Toyota @£40k out the door! Plug in chargers are museum pieces not to mention raping the planet and fueling child labour, harvesting a huge ecological disaster in the future of all the toxic materials when the battery life comes to an end. Direct Hydrogen combustion/ efules or Hydrogen electrolysis has to be the way or we will be paying £10pkwh to turn on the kettle to mafia energy companies and push car ownership right out of reach for the average 2.4 families, or maybe that's the point.

[@Al-of3zp]

Maybe that's why it's a boring unappealing car....?

[@brunojulio]

And yet it’s an amazing marketing tool for the brand

[@dandare1001]

@@brunojulio Exactly what I was going to say. It is almost pure marketing. They are quite happy selling fat SUVs. They are a business. If they could sell ice cream and make more profit, they would be doing it.

[@davesmith60]

It's the customers that turn them into SUVs. Men with tiny penises and huge egos in gle Merc and x7s thinking they're cool.

[@bluesky9093]

I think I’ve stumbled on my now favorite channel for car reviews, next to Jay Leno’s garage. Nothing gimmicky in the presentation, just a bloke that knows something about cars and is willing to get right to point instead of going on and on about things that are obvious to the viewers eyes. Thanks for this review, it’s given me renewed interest in the possibility of EV’s. IMHO we are literally living through what will one day be looked back upon as one of the most exciting periods in the evolution of automotive engineering. It’s also great to see the passion of these young engineers.

[@JoshuaC923]

Welcome! Enjoy all the awesome content Harry puts out, one of my favourite channels.

[@ConnorWagner]

I absolutely love the styling. I really hope the softer flowing lines will be something Mercedes applies to their future production cars.

[@skyjockbill]

I agree. Most mercs seem styled for a crass american market - this is so different.

[@skwdenyer]

Is it just me, or did the Oldsmobile Aurora point the way to this?

[@couttsy222]

I'm always amazed at how much effort is now being put into making EVs efficient -- aero, tyres, parasitic losses etc. Imagine if all those translatable efficiences were put into an ICE car, instead of driving around in ruddy great SUVs and utes.

[@TassieLorenzo]

Honda Insight? The market was not interested. The Toyota Prius is pretty efficient as it is -- both the aerodynamic Kammback shape and the hybrid powertrain. Sadly, most buyers would prefer to buy a tall and boxy Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid instead (at least it's still a hybrid?). Corolla Cross Hybrid & RAV4 Hybrid sales now far exceed Prius sales for some reason, sadly, as if drag coefficient is not a high priority of buyers. I guess at the time that Europe was interested in/favoured diesel cars the various BlueMotion and Econetic trim levels were something along the lines you mention: a Polo or Fiesta fitted with small diesel engines and more aerodynamic wheel covers & bodykit & lower resistance tyres than the normal versions.

[@encerche5629]

Audi A2 or VW Polo? Audi A8 V8 TDI which Jeremy Clarkson did an eco run. There's plenty of ICE cars that can be driven efficiently on B roads. City planning has been so anti-car which has increased the fuel usage 20% or more. At the same time idiotic CO2 based taxes have forced manufacturers to lie and cheat about the real world numbers

[@Speedystig]

That's only because they were ugly as sin! Need to make it actually look good! Prius and insight were woeful. Look at all the Tesla saloons that sell , the EQXX is a good looking car if they ever made it similar to that

[@tgregi]

Aero gains in ICE are much smaller then EV, becose combustion engine is sooo unefficient. That is why EV get so much worse mileage with towing then ICE.

[@encerche5629]

@@tgregi You just don't calculate transport and storage losses of electricity. And the cold weather losses. And EV cars are only possible for small minority of western people - 99% of the world population will use ICE for decades. That's where the real impact is, if you truly wanted to improve air quality of cities.

[@brymills]

That’s one of the best videos you’ve ever made. I’ve been put off EVs, but that gives me hope for the future. It’s so much more than just battery capacity.

[@deanie557]

Want hope? Get a Hydrogen car.

[@anonym3017]

@@deanie557 those cost significantly more than EVs. they have significantly higher fuel costs than EVs. they have significantly higher maintenance costs than EVs. and if the hydrogen is produced via steam reformation they have worse emissions than just driving a prius.

[@MrBottomrung]

Yes let’s just forget how the batteries are made. That one factor should be enough for every decent human being not to pursue this nonsense.

[@deanie557]

@@anonym3017 I know that, but if the government can waste £16 billion on C19 stuff, then they can give people grants to help them.

[@geraint8989]

Buy a Tesla.

[@jackwhorton6826]

I do like the EQXX. I feel we should have gone this way with petrol cars a long time ago ie super slippery, efficient (see honda insight which I seem to recall Harry had once). With electric this thing could have 50kwh battery, save another 250kg ish and still get 350-400 miles range and use half the amount of limited minerals. 200-250bhp is plenty at that weight and with such little drag.

[@jackwhorton6826]

@@antoniavie and they don’t already?

[@JohnFromAccounting]

Engines have become incredibly efficient over the decades. But you're right. It's too easy to make the fuel tank larger, and there is little reward for making the range even longer.

[@d.j.vanderschoot3717]

@@jackwhorton6826 Exactly. And I'd rather have all cars look like this than generic SUV's. Think this is actually one of the prettiest cars I've seen lately.

[@freddiefox.]

Maybe oil companies don't want car companies to make cars that use less fuel. Be more efficient, but not too efficient.

[@andypaul999]

The VW XL1 concept went along these lines, 100km on one litre of diesel. Still think refining aero and engines with fossil fuels is the ultimate future for a majority of us.

[@michaelscott4766]

Amazing attention to detail, right down to the lightweight test driver ! Another Ace video ..

[@jasperdemann5936]

😄 He's got to be worth at least an extra 100km on the range, surely! Poor chap looks like he could do with a few bratwursts in his lunchbox. 🌭

[@lukemallory7832]

Shout out to the Italians who still drive normal cars like the Fiat Panda featuring throughout this video!

[@stevenfarrall3942]

Yes. And the $64,000 question is how do you make a small 'everyman' car like the Panda slippery, light, cheap and electric?

[@TheBlackD]

@@stevenfarrall3942 You don't. Just look at the global strategies of automotive groups and regulations. Cars will get more expensive and less and less people will be able to buy them. They don't care about people they care about keeping the money flowing. The everyman will have to find other solutions. Capitalists interests were (kinda) in line with those of people from the west from the end of the 40s to the early 2000s . Since 2008 they splitted ways and they won't join for a long time.

[@stevef01]

@@TheBlackD I think you are partially right. Certainly the Powers That Be (the 'technocratic managerialists') seem very keen to deprive The Common Man of the freedom to drive cheap cars using very high energy density hydrocarbon based fuels. They seem to think that world work perfectly if only all of us did what they say. As 'capitalists' - we are all 'capitalists' in the Adam Smith sense. Trouble is what we now have is not at all Adam Smith capitalism (capitalism being a word coined by Marx). What we now have is a form of crony corporatism based on regulatory central planning, sort of Marxist. And however you look at it the modern small ICE powered car is a wonder. Cheap, reliable, comfortable, economical and capable of upward of 250,000 kms without a major component failure.

[@eze8970]

@@TheBlackD Pricing a lot of potential customers out of the market (the bottom of the consumer pyramid) doesn't seem like a good business strategy. You may get more brands (or sub brands) offering cheaper no frills motoring.

[@TheBlackD]

@@eze8970 You still think with the old software. You don't need the mass to prosper anymore. Covid proved that.

[@chartreux1532]

Seeing my favourite "Engländer" (as we say in German for "Englishman") have such a good Time with a German in a German Car is fantastic and not something you see very often! Great Video and also Kudos to the Mercedes-Benz Engineer, especially for speaking English with barely an Accent while i myself as a Southern Bavarian sound like a Mix of Werner Herzog and Arnold Schwarzenegger when i speak English Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgadein the Bavarian Alps

[@philipmulville8218]

Yes, the German engineer’s English is excellent - he even pronounced Stuttgart the English way. Great video.

[@alancobbin]

This car is simply fascinating,nice one Harry 👍

[@billkeaveney1526]

Fair play to Mercedes for pushing the technology to this level. The advancement will spill down to everyday cars. Cheers Harry

[@rasz]

Yes, just like Volkswagen XL1 tech spilled over to other VWs :-). its just a PR stunt.

[@johnsmith1474]

Wishful thinking, like how wasting $$ to put a man on Mars will create a better life for some peasant in Mali.

[@CumBrianFries]

@@johnsmith1474 A peasant from Mali, no. A peasant from any developed country? Very much so! This kind of range in EVs will soon be available to the average buyer in developed countries like the US, most countries in the EU, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and even China. But of course it won't be available to average folks in poorer less developed countries like India, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, the Phillippines, and most sub-Saharan African countries.

[@GT380man]

@@CumBrianFriesheoretically, but not possible in practise. Domestic mains electrical supplies are of insufficient cross section to permit the implied currents required to charge high capacity batteries. Of course, for the odd, well-placed house, it can be done. But once you contemplate the density of markedly enlarged cross sections of copper rising mains in hundreds to thousands of residences in a small area, typical dormitory district of a town, it’s realised that the nearest substations do not have the cross section needed to send much increased peak currents. So they’d need thicker copper from the HV grid substation. It doesn’t end. We’d need to rewire the country. Then we learn there’s not enough copper available to form the implied thousands of miles of new mains conductor. Even if we could solve all of those engineering & economic challenges, there’s yet another that we cannot solve, as far as I can see. Consider the work done daily by ICE cars. It’s extraordinarily large. And almost all of that would need to be made available by mains electrical generation. It’s not a small adjustment. I think it’s closer to doubling our electricity output in steady state. The only way that could be done is by burning so-called fossil fuels, most likely natural gas. An alternative is the original fossil fuel, coal. Solar & wind are low density so-called renewables: they don’t create much power per square metre of ground denied to other uses. And regardless of how good it may become, it’s essential to “cover” 100% of the output that we’d need, because on cloudy, still periods, we will get zero % of the peak output from solar and wind, yet the demand continues regardless of such routine weather variations. It’s depressing pointing this out. I love machines from a hobby perspective. I like problem solving, as I have been an applied research scientist all my career. So I’m reasonably numerate and what I call an “enthusiast sceptic”. Finally, I’ve been reading a considerable amount in this field and related anthropogenic climate change. Regret to say it’s all lies. Literally, there is an ongoing fraud in this field, presumably driven by big capital & the dominant, corporate-friendly politicians. Been going on for decades. Once seen, it cannot be unseen. Naturally, once you accept we’re being horribly lied to in one area, are we being told the truth in other fields? No, we’re not.

[@Tim_Small]

Hyundai's Ioniq 6 is probably the closest production car to this. I doubt Merc marketing/management would have the guts to put something like the EQXX into production.

[@NigelMarston]

I think it's a great looking car - echoes of Aston Martin in the rear. Great tech all over and brings some optimism about the evolution of batteries.

[@philco2290]

It looks like a stretched and flattened ev6. I like it

[@MasterChief37]

Or a McLaren Speedtail.

[@JoshuaC923]

Agreed, looks good, nice tech

[@aDaWaN]

Giving engineers a go at creating the most efficient car is an exceptional great move by Mercedes. Yeah this car might cost 50 million to build and the develop and it might not be to everyone's taste. However, this will open the eyes to everyone, so they know what is possible. This will set the bar for future Mercedes cars and will help them building the best electric car. As an automotive nerd, this is one my favourite cars ever build. Thanks Harry for giving this car the attention it deserves!

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

My thoughts as well aDaWaN That’s exactly how the older mercs were built, by engineers not accountants.

[@marcob1729]

Right. One of the dog whistle arguments against EVs is that they're "not ready for prime time". If we're already making prototypes that can go far beyond any reasonable consumer driving range, it means that we're plenty well along in the deployment of this tech.

[@chartreux1532]

Exactly! I see so many EV Fans be critical of any of the Legacy Brands creating EVs that are better and more efficient than any Tesla and while Tesla deserves Credit for making all these Legacy Brands investing and engineering EV Cars seriously, they should not be surprised now that those Legacy Brands have become better than any Tesla. Teslas are soon going to fall far back in Line of "Best EVs" if they keep ignoring Legacy Brands Innovation and Engineering Feats for EVs Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps

[@AndrewTSq]

Volkswagen already did this 8 years ago, when they started to sell the VW XL1 which had a fuel economy of 261mpg, but at a price of over $100k new. (at the same time VW took the decision to make this car, I think they also said they would gonna make a 400km/h car, which later was the Bugatti Veyron, but I can remember it wrong.. think these cars was Ferdinand Piech idea)

[@Beer_Dad1975]

It's a marvelous bit of engineering for sure - but IMO, a bit of a marketing con to present it like this. Air cooled battery - which we know from every other EV with an air cooled battery, saves a load of weight, but means the battery rapidly loses range as it is heat cycled, and you end up having to replace them long before the rest of the car is worn out - lots of other things - like the rear doors aren't working (to save weight, which is pretty bullshit in a 4 door car IMO) - the rear shape being so extreme for aerodynamics that the rear seats look like they would be horrible for adults anyway - and fibreglass springs are mentioned - wonder how often you'd have to replace those as they would delaminate very quickly I'd imagine. Wonder what other technologies it is using that just wouldn't be realistic in a production car... I know, I know - they use these kinds of cars to experiment with new tech to see what works and what doesn't - but trumpeting it's twice the range of other EV's - well sure, but it's also totally impractical - so that's kinda bullshit. Still I guess trumpeting bullshit is nothing new in the motoring industry.

[@BritishGazzelle]

You have to love the Mercedes Engineer using Blitzer app even with a Police escort 🤣

[@leslienordman8718]

Thank you: that deep engineering dive is quite interesting. Aerodynamics is also very necessary for regular cars, too. I wish car makers would make their regular vehicles more slippery, more efficient.

[@rogerwatt3154]

It's hard to make SUVs slippery as a lot of their appeal is that look of brute force invulnerability which results in the brick like shape.

[@elliottharley1386]

Fascinating video, I've got much more appreciation for what MB has achieved with this car now, thanks Harry!

[@williamtynan6484]

Finally a moment of optimism and breakthrough engineering that gives us hope for ‘motoring’ in the near future. Bravo Harry and MB

[@crgmrgn]

With regard to aerodynamics, recall the VW XL1, which through low weight and super slippery shape managed great efficiency from a small 2-cyl diesel/electric combo. Even the Honda Insight to a degree re-inforced the same point. Sadly, the unbounded growth in scale, weight and profligate "SUV" style vehicle has set the wrong pattern for many of the more recent developments … with the "easy" electric race for just adding power to compensate for their short-comings being too easy to adopt.

[@otm646]

The SUV style is driven by government regulation on corporate fuel economy. It's not a trend, it's a mandate.

[@TassieLorenzo]

This is true, but thankfully we are starting to see a return of ultra-aerodynamic styled vehicles -- cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Mercedes EQS among others, some with drag coefficients as low as 0.20. Hopefully buyers choose these sleeker bodystyles rather than the SUV bodystyles. (Since energy consumption at highways speeds usually goes at least 90% to aerodynamic drag.)

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@otm646 In the US, CAFE allows manufacturers who sell SUVs and trucks to have higher average fuel economy limits than for companies that sell mainly passenger cars. This is totally illogical and seems to defeat the objective of reducing fleet fuel consumption!

[@tassos2011]

No matter the drag coefficient, when an ICE is being driven at constant speeds of 83km/h or 87 km/h as mentioned in this video, it’s definitely going to be extremely fuel efficient. I tried in my friends Polo 1.4 - 20 years old vehicle - and does easily 55 mpg 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ So much effort and resources spent to be in the same point!

[@tgregi]

​@@tassos2011 Earo gains in ICE are much smaller then EV, becose combustion engine is sooo unefficient. That is why EV get so much worse mileage with towing then ICE. That is why earo is 60% gains in EV but ice will be imho 30-40% max (only my guess) . Also depends of speeds, higher speed gain much more from aero then lower.

[@petergibbs]

Interestingly it looks like a super modern James Bond Aston Martin DB5 on the outside.

[@gregorygant4242]

Yeah ,it does !

[@HONDAVFRV4]

Just wanted to say how we should have more content of Harry and Clarkson together. Highest watched vid with over 1 million views in just over two weeks.

[@perroviejo666]

Agree

[@reeslodge24]

Prefer Harry on his own to be honest. Clarkson didn’t seem that interested in that video. I would sooner see road trips abroad.

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

No more Clarkson, please. I like Harry because he's everything that Clarkson is not.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

I agree with Ingvar. The less Clarkson the better.

[@HONDAVFRV4]

@@ingvarhallstrom2306 The viewing figures say otherwise.

[@ohwowthatsgood]

This is fantastic. Id love to see you tour that cactus and mushroom leather production facility.

[@deanchur]

Love the traditional mirrors, wish Mercedes didn't go so overboard with tech in their current cars. Also if you get a chance sometime Harry then check out a car that I think is still in pre-production called the Lightyear One; it also has a very slippery shape, low weight and is covered in solar panels.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

The EQE is one of the worst car experiences money can buy.

[@garnitan2706]

Great figures. Love the design. This is the first car that has gotten me excited about the direction electric vehicles are headed.

[@markthoughtswithukrainemas2072]

You sound really boring ,, so sad if this gets you Really excited

[@AndrewTSq]

It looks kind of the old Aston Martin DBS that James Bond (Sean Connery) used to drive :)

[@robtt997]

Wonder what your carbon footprint is !

[@pistonburner6448]

What direction is that? To even more CO2 emissions, even more society-crippling costs?

[@AndrewClark4MarkRacing]

Top #Merc Stuttgart engineer with top questions from you - wow & thanks!

[@alexgeorge2993]

An awesome car for people in Australia for those of us that drive across this huge country with massive kilometers, I am impressed.

[@DMSparky]

Same for here in Canada where the distances are vast. You need all the efficiency you can get driving an EV in very cold weather which can cut your range in half.

[@chartreux1532]

As a German and probably as any European would say, Range isn't as important for us in our small sized Countries than it is in the USA, Canada, Australia etc. There are so many People who don't understand that when they see that Germans f.e. prefer buying a VW ID3 or Nissan Leaf over a Tesla Model 3. It's because even 200 Miles is more than enough for most People in European Countries and on top of that we have Charging Stations absolutely everywhere now, i'd even have no Range Anxiety with an EV that has a Range of 100 Miles. I mean, i can get to France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium etc. with 200 Miles as Range f.e. to give you an idea why Range is not an important Factor for Europeans Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps

[@alexgeorge2993]

@@chartreux1532 Indeed you make valid points, the problem here is the lack of charging stations which is sad because most of the current stations are only available in the major cities and not enough of them. So if a person wanted to drive an EV from Melbourne to Sydney it cannot be done with the current infastructure so it limits the viability of owning an EV here. Thanks from Melboure Australia

[@alexgeorge2993]

@@DMSparky Yeah and we at times have horrible hot summers which can get to 40 degrees celcius which I wonder how they would perfom in such harsh conditions.

[@Leonardo555ZZZ]

Just great for all the multi millionaires who love to drive for hours...

[@gordonsimpson3235]

I cant tell you how depressing this car is to me. Ridiculous thing. Slippery shape efficiency is nothing new...trouble is, no one buys 4 door saloons anymore - they all want SUV's. So kinda out of step with the market. Thanks for bringing this to our attention though Harry....as ever great and informative video, even if it isn't my cup of tea.

[@TheStefanoMA]

The rear looks like a Maserati 3200 and Mclaren Speedtail had a glorious baby

[@TheGuzziFlyer]

Absolutely epic, mind-blowing tech and totally the right guy to review it! Awesome viewing Harry

[@ngacni]

The very rare proper aproach to EV

[@commuterbranchline8132]

A nice effort from Mercedes. I’m not sure how different this effort is from that of star up Lightyear? Light weight and aero are the way to go. The greatest challenge is to produce a car at scale that is compelling, practical and affordable. I have a friend who averages 6.5 miles/ KWh from his 2020 Hyundai Kona 64kw, so his range per charge averages 400 miles per charge. That’s not bad for a mass produced car driven carefully by a pensioner!

[@speedismyfriend]

The EQXX avrgae 90kmh for 747 miles and hit speeds of 140km at times. I bet your friend never gets near those with their consumption levels!

[@richardmcbride538]

Really enjoyed! The engineer, very likeable person. Spoke so openly. Well done. Terrific show.

[@gazzafloss]

Yes Harry you're correct the 0-100klm/hr and top speeds are toyally irrelevant to the person looking for a nice family car with reasonable range. Good on MB for taking this "sensible reality" track with this ev.

[@tassos2011]

But…. everyone is trying to get an EV and try to compete with super cars 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ Just like everyone is thinking about the environment but driving around a 2.5 tonnes Chelsea tracker…

[@gazzafloss]

@@tassos2011 yes, but as we say about many things, "it's the thought that counts". You don't have to actually do anything to fix the problem, that's someone else's job!.

[@MegaRetr]

That’s one of the best videos you’ve ever made.

[@rockets4kids]

Love the vintage feel of the exterior, wish they could have done the same on the interior.

[@axeljacobs9723]

There‘s absolutely nothing Vintage about this car! Full stop!!

[@laurencea.freeman5201]

I can't stop thinking about how the side profile of this car reminds me of the Aston Martin DB5. Obviously the AM design team were 60 years ahead of their time!!

[@laurencea.freeman5201]

I correct my previous comment regarding design, Aston Martin DB6.

[@grahammurphy5516]

Hope it goes into full production..i do like its speed tail/art deco design

[@RAHellemans]

Fascinating to see the details and the performance kWh/100km they achieve. Only reservation is that driven by weight savings they are natural air-cooling the battery. This will mean no preconditioning of the battery temperatures (cold morning starts etc) and limiting (no?) cooling when charging this severely limiting charging rates. This was early EV tech (Nissan Leave etc) that severely limited their battery life.

[@lqr824]

not clear if it is ONLY air-cooled, or whether they meant that at that point in time it was only air-cooled. Also, in a technology demonstrator/proof of concept like this there's not a strong need to show existing technology can be built in: for instance it doesn't necessarily need working windshield wipers, immobilizer, things like that. It could be that since the features you mention are well-known, they're only proving the novel air-cooling feature in confidence they could re-add other features as needed? You're certainly right to raise the question of course.

[@neilfairless4589]

A true look into what is able to be produced. This should have been the brief from the start.

[@DrPittenstein]

I think it's a beautiful shape, looks like a modern interpretation of the Aston Martin DB6!

[@jeremywentworth1833]

Very impressive let's hope Mercedes put something very similar into production .

[@SmallBlogV8]

Nice touch for him to say "for sure" when answering the F1 question. Very apt. I really hope Mercedes does use this as the EV template and stops building 2.6-tonne slug-shaped tanks ASAP.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

Pretty sure the EQ brand will slink away in a few years. It hasn't been successful. Part of that is the looks. They look like bars of soap.

[@luke_3_113]

An interesting look into the future of where EVs might go - there seems to be some big changes to batteries coming from a few manufacturers. Not sure all your stats were quite correct, but interesting stuff. Thanks.

[@peterwooldridge7285]

Smashing...an EV that could be practically used here in regional Australia where long distances are generally the norm. Be interested to see how it handles hot weather

[@brianwallace6112]

I'm no physicist (nor any unalloyed apologist for petroleum-power...) but wouldn't these aero gains apply equally to all vehicles regardless of power source?

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

Absolutely. However, most cars need to be practical, which this car is not. Also, ICE-driven cars needs a lot of cooling with open holes into the body to feed a variety of radiators and cooling systems, which by itself means heavy air resistance.

[@n9athan]

Mercedes should put this car into production. It’s the best looking EV and one of the best looking cars in recent history.

[@BobTheBlue]

Been looking forward to this all week!!!

[@anderslaursen5810]

Great vid as always, if anyone want to geek out more, Engineering Explained has a great in depth analysis. It is important to remember that when calculating the drag on a car (or anything), frontal area is as important as drag coefficient - for that reason SuV's will always struggle (relative to normal cars) due to their larger frontal areas.

[@eze8970]

Hopefully this will be the start of the downsizing of car weight/power/more batteries etc, & going back to other basic principles to extend range. Thanks Harry 🙏🙏

[@ewanstewart8011]

That’s a good looking car, the wheels look enormous (diameter) and narrow for the aerodynamics. The future looks a little brighter but electric cars are still going to price a lot of us out of the market 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@odin5188]

What does adding a Scottish flag (your nationality i presume) add to the conversation?

[@ewanstewart8011]

@@odin5188 I am indeed Scottish and proud of it, I added the flag so that all the channels that I watch would know where I’m from should they wish to know.

[@odin5188]

@@ewanstewart8011 Interesting, well i did ask. It's almost like an answer to a question no one asked. Like telling people what I had for dinner. Alas, it's not harming anyone, so crack on 👍🏿

[@Carrera-gp9od]

Keep putting your flag on mate , nice to see another Scot on here 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍🏻

[@jacohauptfleisch935]

Franco Scaglione who designed the Alfa BAT cars were a genius who recognized the importance of aero on cars. Making the car faster by giving it less drag. Pure genius

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

One of the best looking cars of this decade: Clean lines rule! And so does efficiency. Crossovers and SUVs are the plague.

[@mateusssssss567]

When the combustion engines are banned, and car companies see themselves in dire need of actual affordable and efficient cars to sell, the fuckin SUVs will finally die. Can't wait.

[@AronBuilds]

Not only tons of range and tech and engineering, but one of the best looking EVs to date imo.

[@j.k.cascade2057]

A very good looking car, I would buy one of those. Especially if it was a 2 door coupe, a foot shorter and a smaller battery. (you don't really need that that much battery, lighten up the car with a smaller battery)

[@johnsayer116]

I'd want the estate version!

[@tgregi]

Just wait few years for new battery chemistry. Its comming. A lot of promising technologies under development:)

[@banzai385]

Rodents will love the sugar cane battery top ,and cactus and mushroom leather !

[@maximilianwalerowicz7322]

Ive been eagerly waiting for this video! Curious to hear your opinion on it

[@Gaaaaaaaaaaad]

I said that I would never buy an electric car but I would buy this car. Enough HP, range like a diesel car, beautiful looks. This is great

[@ACabral711]

I wonder if the sugar cane battery lid will have issues with degradation or attracting vermin like they soybean based wire insulation did in the 90s Mercedes products. Other than that, a 1700 ish kg car with a 100kW battery is a really solid feat towards reducing strain on our roadways and particulate emissions from brakes and tires. Range is epic. Looking forward to seeing how the tech filters down to production cars. Sign me up for something like that with half of the range at 1500 kg.

[@lqr824]

I always think they should do EXACTLY that, but also supply extra batteries you can put in the boot for extra range. Let you decide to buy that later, for instance. Or put in a 60kg 300cc wankel generator as a range extender.

[@mikeg306]

Thank's Harry & Friedemann, what a fascinating video.

[@jadamsnz]

Really interesting video, nice work. The battery technology fills me with optimism. You mention aerodynamic efficiency playing such an important role for EVs, well ICE cars would benefit as well. As for being surprised at how "low" a speed aero becomes important - try sticking your hand out the window at 50mph and turning it perpendicular to the air stream.

[@TassieLorenzo]

"You mention aerodynamic efficiency playing such an important role for EVs, well ICE cars would benefit as well" I know, *yet* people go on and on about how they want a two-box Golf or two-box estate and they think the more aerodynamic Kammback alternatives with sloping C-pillar are ugly (and "not a real hatchback" or "not a real estate"). E.g., complaining about the sloping C-pillar angle of the new Civic hatchback and saying it's not a "real" (i.e., boxy two-box) hatchback. It's crazy! They don't seem to care that the Civic, for example, adopted that sloping rear screen Kammback shape ever since 2007 to reduce aerodynamic drag and that going back to a two-box shape 15 years later would be a regressive step.

[@AnarchistMetalhead]

@@TassieLorenzo to be fair, the Civic is a really ugly car, and i say that as someone who really liked the design of the 8th and 9th generation hatchbacks

[@endtasid]

I liked the tech level of conversations in this video. Far better than stupid chatter we are used to listen to in most other EV test videos.

[@nathangriffiths4629]

Great advancement with the battery life. Personally I would still need double that to even consider battery power here in Australia. Another 8-10 years and well be there. Thats if the price of electric doesn't keep going up the rate it is. Great vid Harry.

[@bearclaw5115]

You'd need 2,400km of range? How big is your bladder?

[@bobolulu7615]

​@@bearclaw5115I guess you have never been to Australia?

[@nathangriffiths4629]

@@bearclaw5115 LoL, there's a few stops involved but a drive from Brissy to south Sydney and back is about 2200kms, it's a big country.

[@daveb1242]

As much as I hate the idea of EV’s I found this video fascinating.

[@shingnosis]

Poor test driver having to navigate Italian town traffic while taking battery tech with Harry in a nearly priceless prototype. He was earning his salary that day!

[@apostolis2939]

One thing that gets overlooked with aerodynamics is frontal area, yes an suv with a low drag coefficient can sound impressive but because of it's bulk most of its wind cheating engineering is wasted by its height and width. 0,17 cd with such a small frontal area is quite amazing, especially with pedestrian fitings such as windshield wipers and door mirrors

[@hydorah]

Well done Mercedes for convincing Harry of the potential of full EV

[@3UZFE]

You mean paying

[@art322]

Love this car! It makes my Prius look like a gas guzzling monster :D

[@RAFchurchlawford4469]

But your Prius makes the EQXX look like a money-munching monster 🤔

[@hugogreen13]

My father used to say that the only vehicles where drag was not relevant were Tanks and steam engine. As below 60mph drag was not a consideration

[@bidensucks6792]

This looks sooooooo much better than any EV this company currently has to offer!

[@Resist_Oppression]

Awesome video. Loved this. Problem is, so many big, boxy, space-consuming SUV/crossovers are sold 🤢, which are not aero-efficient. You need to get people to buy smaller, sedan-like vehicles again. And they way way too much.

[@albertofernandez-sanguino3373]

Aerodynamic efficiency works for ALL drivetrains. Put a hyper efficient diesel engine in this car, with 80 ltr fuel tank and 1600 km range is probably not unreasonable

[@danpatterson8009]

Battery tech is noteworthy, but aero improvements, weight reduction, and lower speeds are what you'd have to expect in pursuit of greater range (or increased intervals between charges). Customer preferences will be the biggest obstacle to efficiency. Tesla could have made their cars more efficient but chose not to, instead opting for blazing acceleration to help penetrate the market. Whatever Dodge comes out with to replace their 700-hp ICE muscle cars certainly won't be efficient, for the same reason.

[@tuxisgr8]

Thanks for this deep insight into cutting edge technology. Your questions are very important and surprisingly, many of them got answered. But, as many others state in the comments, the reality just shows such efficient cars never show up at a reasonable price tag, as long people buy the clumsy and heavy cars which in no way reflect a greener future of mobility. But this doesn’t affect your superbe journalism. Kudos!

[@Simon-dm8zv]

Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq. Both highly efficient and affordable.

[@rooramblingon895]

So judging by the BMW you tested a while back with a big battery, this car will do up to 1200 Km, once a week, because it'll take that long to charge it!?

[@nealm1814]

No, it will take 13hours to charge it from flat to max on a domestic fast charger.

[@cluckstube]

"Just use a mirror, mirrors work" - I never thought I'd say it but "bravo, Mercedes!"

[@slyck101]

I question this push for EVs when we don't see airlines, Cargo ships and trucks making the same efforts.

[@kumbackquatsta]

with the weight of the average american family, it's lucky if it'll make it 500km

[@cheytacpraetoriancomposite3413]

Ok the most important question how many hours does it burn when it catches fire, and how much of a special enviro friendly liquid has to be poured on it so it finally stops burning?

[@penguinred651]

Interesting to see, the best part of the video for me was when the car was overtaken by a car with an engine and sound and then I thought I know which car I would prefer to be in. Its amazing technology but also sad in some ways to see where the future of motoring is heading. Great cars for people to get from A to B efficiently but then most household appliances are efficient.

[@Fernweh1965]

Agreed, it's reducing car ownership to the emotional level of owning a new washing machine. Oh and making them so expensive car ownership is not for the masses either. It'll be the bus for us working class chaps

[@DaveSpecC]

Amen to that.

[@Thulebeez]

Well Mercedes have been very busy on EV scene great to see the future of EV's in action.

[@tiguanman1170]

Aero has been known as important for years. The Audi 100 was 0.3 Cd. Above 100km/h, the amount of power required to provide for extra speed is a cube of the velocity which is why the Choron is super fast but requires 1500 bhp to do it. The EQXX is helped by being light at 1700kg. The ICE Mini is at least that. Most EVs are around 2400kg. Making a car light when the battery is 495kg means lots of carbonfibre which will make them very expensive. The EQXX hasn't been built with cost in mind but it matters with production vehicles. So rather than nbuild an EV with a top speed of 150mph, why not have a global limit of 130kmh for EVs so the bias is towards economy rather than power and that will increase range with a smaller battery. It's impressive tech and research but there is no way at present to build an EV for the "masses" that is decent and affordable.

[@aro8000]

The problem with this Mercedes is that it must be expensive. But it doesn't have to. And compromises have already been made, look at how narrow the tires are. It's still a balancing act between efficiency and price/profit. Mercedes can make an even more efficient car, but it would have to be really spartan and probably not profitable for Mercedes, but still driveable. But the progress is visible because 6000lbs monsters is neither efficient nor environmentally friendly. One thing is certain, the EV of the future will be effective but modest. 6000lbs, 1000BHP, 180mph, 22 inch wheels, 100 miles range luxury monsters are just another toys of tomorrow, not a true glimpse into the future. It's still a looong way to go.

[@GoalSquad666]

I drive regularly between Scotland and Austria. With this car, I have the feeling i could do it in the same time as I'm doing it with my actual car, within 24hrs. For me this is a proper range, it is not a crazy range, it is not on steroids range, it is the range I expect in the future. We just need proper battery chargers, because all over Scotland you only have 7kwh chargers doted and charging a 100kwh battery will be a long coffee break.

[@pistonburner6448]

Imagine how much lower in emissions that would be with a small ICE engine fuelled with biomethane, HVO biodiesel, bioethanol or e-fuel! And it would cost a fraction of that EV!

[@Martin_in_Cheltenham]

Great and very informative video- enjoyed the open discussion- well done Harry for showing this. Thank you.

[@mikea5205]

1200km = 745 miles

[@jolark2259]

Fascinating, especially listening to the engineer. Great video and love the car 👍

[@EleanorPeterson]

Another fine video, Harry. 🙂 I realise that this car is a test bed and I can understand why EV devotees might be getting excited about what it could mean for future developments and their regular road cars ("Whoopee! More new stuff!") but [there has to be a 'but', and my butt's a whopper...] I still think the focus is on the wrong things. More range, more economy, more efficiency, more everything... But always, always more expense. All the cutting-edge tech is aimed at the high end of the market. The batteries, the charging, the materials - the very concept - is the same as we've got with EVs now: slick, whizzy toys for wannabe tycoons who demand the very best of everything. Because, they've been told, they're worth it. Please don't bring up the old 'trickle-down technology' argument. We'll all benefit... No, we won't, because the glorious new tech just puts the average vehicle beyond most people's means. Yes, today's cars DO feature all the expensive options that used to be fancy gimicks a while back: heaters, carpets, power steering, door mirrors, servo brakes, stereos, anti-lock systems, air-con, alloy wheels, central locking, electric windows, rear wash-wipe, parking sensors, cruise control and all sorts of so-called added value techno-gubbins because we're all sooooo special... But at a huge price. That's not very helpful if you want to buy a bottom-of-the-range 'Popular' model but the least you can find is a 'Ghia LX De Luxe GT Plus'. Trickle down technology is only relevant if it improves the breed for all, not just the few, and the motor industry has done a great job of selling luxury as the norm. A spartan interior is now taboo. Cars in Britain have air-con as standard. In BRITAIN, for pity's sake! That's absurd. Easy monthly payment plans are clever marketing to buff egos and make people believe they can afford to live a millionaire's lifestyle on their meagre salaries, but they've seduced consumers into thinking that high prices are the norm. Whether it's their mobile phones or their mobile homes, they've been groomed to think that they deserve the best as a right; plush materials, fancy touchscreens, auto everything. There's nothing wrong with giving rich people what they want, whether it's cars, boats, planes shoes or booze, but nobody's catering to the kind of people who want less, not more. The marvellous promise of this Merc will just make tomorrow's EVs even more exclusive and unaffordable. And today's redundant tech won't be passed on to poor people, no, no - today's EVs will be outlawed or taxed to death or simply quietly swept under the carpet as the new tech takes over. At vastly increased (monthly) cost. The same thing will happen when a new battery discovery consigns lithium to history's rubbish bin. I enjoyed the video, but I'm depressed by the thought of what it may mean for ordinary car buyers. And that's the point: the industry doesn't want anything to do with ordinary car buyers, does it. It's created a whole new type of consumer. Sigh. Meanwhile... An air-cooled fast-chargeable (lithium) battery pack may be good for all sorts of admirably techie reasons, but I suspect the poor thing will have an inconveniently short service life unless handled with kid gloves and a monstrously complex and costly battery management system. Still, never mind, eh? It's only money, and everybody's loaded these days. Just sign on the dotted line.

[@banaana1234]

You are missing the biggest point of this car. Making a smaller/lower, slicker car is not expensive, quite the contrary actually

[@SS-yw7vo]

💩🤡

[@budgefeeney]

The tech from 5 years ago has already trickled down to the MG4, which is £6000 upfront then £250/month on finance. Assuming you can charge it at home, that works out cheaper than a Fiesta. If you want to own a car outright, a 7-year-old Renault Zoe goes for about £7000-£8000.

[@carl8790]

Imo, the best looking modern car MB has designed in a while. Just to give some context on how crazy efficient this car is, the current prius has a projected range of around ~630 miles. This vehicle with its projected range of ~700 to 800 miles, with a battery equivalent to 11 litres of petrol is mind-boggling.

[@mattagnew206]

Nice one Mercedes. I like the emphasis on aero and weight. My elderly Leaf will lose 2% just getting up to motorway speeds. The dirty secret of many modern EVs is they are heavy. We joke about the Yank tanks of years past and here we are driving modern vehicles that weigh just as much (much safer, cleaner, and more comfortable though). Looking forward to a midrange small wagon with +-180hp and 600km range.

[@insaneflamey2k]

I will be honest and never appreciated you on 5th gear but really enjoy your KZbin channel. Keep it coming with your honest opinions and reviews.

[@simonupex2628]

Basically what you are seeing here is the birth of second gen battery technology and thankfully the engineers at Mercedes been given free reign, with no marketing or bean counters involved.

[@neverendingmods]

Unusable back seats. Stupid design. Who would want a four door sedan with unusable back seat? I mean look at it. I dont think you could easily get a baby seat in\out of that stupid car. If people want a 2 seater then they'll buy a two door car. Not a four door 2 seater! Come on designers. Have some common sense!

[@fairmonthotel]

Great Insight thanks for the video Harry Best Wishes

[@sambagogo777]

Wonderful news that new car sales for EVs from several big manufacturers have tanked, depreciation is eye-wateringly catastrophic because nobody wants a used EV, that VW is giving EV production line workers extended holidays due to sales having cratered and also that VW and likely also other big manufacturers are begging governments to give them even more tax breaks.

[@doccops]

Excellent and interesting video thank you Harry.

[@georgimihalkov4781]

I don't understand how Mercedes can create such an amazing and innovative vehicle, but at the same time their entire EQ range is so mediocre compared to the other offerings on the market.

[@kraenk12]

The EQ cars are among the best EVs available right now, just not so good looking.

[@georgimihalkov4781]

@@kraenk12 I haven't really seen any raving reviews about the EQ range. The flagship EQS has been getting mostly negative reviews from the big channels. Jonny from The Late Brake Show even said that the car was so bad that he didn't want to release the video about it.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

@@kraenk12 The EQ line have disgusting interiors, they pull the brakes away from you, and they look like bars of soap. Drivers are not comfortable with driving it. The EQS is less complete than a concept vehicle, but it's currently on sale. Preposterous.

[@alexjaybrady]

Reminds me of the old Ford Synergy 2010 concept from 96. Love the soft kill option rear subframe megacast, looks so cool

[@energizing1268]

2 main cons for me, real range with travel speed around 160km/ and other than optimal weather will be much much lower and also the price tag will be crazy...

[@danpatterson8009]

It's a technology demonstrator, not a production model.

[@energizing1268]

@@danpatterson8009 I know, but anyway real life range will be much lower that 1200km and the price will be outrageous if it will ever go real production.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

Where are you averaging 99mph except in certain parts of Germany some of the time??!

[@kraenk12]

So? How far are you gonna drive in a day? 600-700km max.

[@YachtReport]

It’s very hard to make an exciting video about an EV even when you have the fastest on the planet. I don’t understand why they can’t give them a gearbox? Would make it more engaging to drive certainly.

[@bobolulu7615]

A gearbox is only used for ICE type vehicles because the don't produce enough torque over the entire rev range to operate in a car. Electric motors have 100% torque from the moment it starts turning, hence no need for a gearbox.

[@joaquinjavaloyesruiz8040]

100 kWh battery. Charging at 5 kW at home (which is a lot of power for a regular home), it will take 20 h for a full charge.

[@joaquinjavaloyesruiz8040]

Even the most advanced EV, like this, are no sense. Who is going to say it?

[@panher]

Yes, I always drive 1200km on one day and then set of the next morning to do it all again!

[@davefitzpatrick4841]

So you do exactly 1200kms everyday, arriving home with a empty battery and will need 1200 kms the next day?? 😂😂 for starters you could just nip to a rapid charger for 10 mins ( you've been charging all night ) and top it up , would take around the same time as filling up with petrol . But realistically you'd only need something like a 60kwh battery for around 600 miles , and you can easily achieve that overnight at home , but of course people like yourself would never be happy and move the goalposts saying you 2000km range and two minutes to fill !!!!

[@kraenk12]

Who TF charges at home without a wall charger?

[@davidfennessey2727]

Well a proper uk home charger is 7.2 kw in Germany I’m told ever house has 3 phase that’s 22 kw

[@BenzAddiction]

Mercedes always provides the best of bests to the market...