Mercedes-Benz EQS covers 1,205km with solid state battery

As the arms race to produce longer-ranged EVs continues to intensify, Mercedes-Benz has achieved a fresh breakthrough for itself - and not with a concept vehicle this time, but with a model from already within its existing lineup. 

Starting from Stuttgart, Germany, a lightly modified Mercedes-Benz EQS Sedan equipped with a lithium-metal solid-state battery (rather than the NCM one on the production cars) managed to complete a Herculean road trip all the way up to Malmo, Sweden without a single recharge. The distance in question? A whopping 1,205km.

The modified EQS's 1,205km road trip took it all the way from Stuttgart, Germany to Malmo, Sweden

Even more remarkable is the fact that the modified EQS arrived in Malmo with 137km worth of range to spare. With this combined figure, the test car surpasses the previous record set by the Vision EQXX on its Stuttgart to Silverstone route by 3km.

The EQS's record-setting road trip comes as part of a comprehensive validation programme at Mercedes-Benz for solid-state battery technology, which is widely regarded as the next frontier in long-distance driving for EVs. The German carmaker has revealed that alongside real-world tests like this one, it is also conducting digital simulations and testing at two state-of-the-art facilities.

Alongside assessments of vehicle performance across different climate zones and route profiles, the brand plans to bring solid-state batteries to series production.

The solid-state battery used on this specific EQS is said to be comparable in weight and size to the one used on the standard EQS in production

The solid-state battery system utilised by this EQS was co-developed by an entity with deep motorsports roots: Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP), the Formula One tech centre of the Mercedes-Benz Group located Brixworth, UK. Additionally, the specific lithium-metal cells used in its battery were produced by U.S.-based manufacturer Factorial Energy, and are based on the company's FEST technology (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology).

Impressively, Mercedes-Benz states that the weight and size of the battery remain comparable to the standard EQS battery in production, while marking a 25% increase usable energy content.

Battery tech aside, it's worth noting that the EQS's achievement was also made possible through Mercedes-Benz's proprietary 'Electric Intelligence' feature, which is availed to its cars with EQ Technology.

An optimal route was calculated through Germany and Denmark before arriving at Sweden, with factors such as topography, traffic, ambient temperature, and energy needs for heating and cooling taken automatically into consideration. The EQS also completed its road trip without ferries.