Is this the end of range anxiety? Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX to deliver 1200km EV range

Mercedes-Benz could be about to land a significant blow in its range war with rival Tesla, with the brand claiming its soon-to-be-revealed Vision EQXX prototype will travel more than 1200km on a single charge.

The EQXX is the latest in the brand’s Vision prototypes (like the Vision EQS), though this is one that is expected to remain a prototype that will debut technology that will filter across the entire EV range, rather than preview a specific new model.

Among the critical promises, though, is the setting of a new benchmark when it comes to EV range, with the brand suggesting the EQXX will be able to travel from Beijing to Shanghai (around 1200km) on a single charge.

The brand hasn’t revealed how it intends to achieve that number – though the EQXX is expected to be revealed in more detail in the coming months – but we expect either solid-state battery breakthroughs or nano-technology to feature.

“Today I want to share our plans to go really beyond, to see a new frontier of range and efficiency,” said Mercedes R&D chief, Markus Schafer, in a presentation to media.

“We have set up a group of our engineers to take on an extraordinary task, to build the longest and highest efficiency electric car the world has ever seen.”

The news follows Tesla’s own Battery Day announcements, in which Elon Musk outlined the five steps required to halve battery costs, as well as increase range by as much as 56 per cent.

If the brand achieves its goals, then that would see the 713km (NEDC) driving range offered by the Tesla Model S Long Range increase to around 1069km.

Critically, if both brands hit their targets, the argument of range anxiety could soon be consigned to history.