Mercedes-Benz is doing the incredible with its newly announced concept ar called the Vision EQXX.

The solar-powered EV concept is capable of exceeding 1,000 kilometers (658 miles) on a single charge.

If this vehicle is ever released, it’ll definitely dwarf existing EVs such as the Lucid Air with its 520 miles or Tesla Model S Long Range Plus with its 402 miles.

On a single charge, you can drive the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX all the way from New York down to Cincinnati or for a better context, Berlin to Paris and if you’re in China, that’s from Beijing to Nanjing all on a single charge.

Although that’s a ridiculous claim by Mercedes which is definitely possible, the Vision EQXX is unfortunately just a concept car and there are no concrete production plans.

For the past several weeks, the German automaker has been teasing the pictures before finally unveiling the vehicle virtually at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The showcase was virtual because Mercedes is among the numerous tech giants that has decided to not physically grace the CES venue due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the United States.

The unique design of the Vision EQXX marries sleek with futurism along with sporty intentions.

It’s suggested that the car could serve as the basis for a production car which could eventually rival existing luxury EVs such as Porsche Taycan, Audi E-tron GT, and Tesla Roadster.

According to Mercedes, the company said it based the Vision EQXX’s range on a simulation of real-life traffic conditions, fueling claims that it will use up energy at a rate of 10kWh per 100 kilometers or more than 6 miles per kWh.

If you’re to convert that into fossil-fuel consumption, it’ll be around 235 miles-per-gallon in the US or 1 liter of gasoline per 100 kilometers.

To put this into perspective, Mercedes notes that 10kWh is the equivalent of using a tumble dryer or an air conditioning unit for three hours or watching 50 hours of television on a 50-inch LED screen.

Mercedes further added that the Vision EQXX’s superior range is completely realistic and that many of its technological advancements will go into future production cars through its Mercedes-Bemx ,odular Architecture.

“The result is an efficiency masterpiece”

Even though the car is quite large and longer, the German automaker said that the energy efficiency of the Vision EQXX wasn’t achieved that way instead, it did it by pulling out all the stops in drivetrain efficiency, energy density, aerodynamics, and lightweight design which makes the concept EV an efficiency masterpiece.

Spekaing of lightweight, the vehicle’s gross weight is about 1,750 kg or 3,858 lbs which lumps the vehicle with compact SUVs instead of being in the sports cars arena.

However, the majority of its weight are probably concentrated on the battery pack which holds nearly 100 kWh of energy but registers 50% less volume and 30% less mass when compared to the previous Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan.

Also, the design of the Vision EQXX is meant to ehnahce its aerodynamic drag with the automaker claiming a “benchmark” coefficient of 0.17 based on a 140km/h wind tunnel test which is an improvement over the EQS’ record-setting 0.20 drag coefficient.

Of course, a range estimate is just that: an estimate. It will be up to the Environmental Protection Agency in the US, as well as Europe’s Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), to certify any EV range independently.

The majority of EVs on the market have a range that falls within 200 and 300 miles and there are models that have lesser miles in fact.

Even though EV range are highly subjective, EPA’s rating system is only meant to showcase a snapshot under specific conditions of the agency’s testing process.

Other factors that are excluded from such tests includes steep hill climbing and also the effects of cold weather which is known to wear down EV battery faster than when driving on flat surfaces or in warmer weather.

But to enhance its efficiency, the Vision EQXX is equipped with a 117 solar cells on the EV’s roof.

The technology was developed in a collaborative effort with Europe’s largest solar energy research institute and the solar roof is meant to offset the energy drain on the high-voltage system while increasing range.

Mercedes claims that the solar cells can add up some 25KM extra range on a long-distance trip under ideal conditions in a single day.

Since none of us may ever have the luxury of actuallyhopping in and driving this vehicle any moment from now, it’s best to just take Mercedes words for it.

Also, do note that there’s a huge disparity between the amount of solar energy that the best cells can capture and what’s needed to make a two-ton vehicle move at speed.

A California startup called Aptera is one of those trying to make this happen despite many financial difficulties the company has had in the past.

Another start is Sono Motors from Germany which is also working on build solar-powered EVs.

Lightyear One is a solar-powered EV from a Dutch startup along with its recently-found partner .

Inside the Vision EQXX is a massive 47.5-inch display that stretches across the width of the vehicle.

Mercedes said it’s working with NAVIS Automotive Systems in order to develop “the first real time 3D navigation system” on a screen of this size.

This novel navigation system will enable “seamless zoom and scroll functions from satellite view down to a height of 10 meters in the 3D city representation,” the company says.

Just the majority of automakers across the globe, Mercedes is also showcasing its innovation as well as plans to enter into an all-electric future.

The company has committed some US$47 billion ( €40 billion ) to the electrification of its lineup by the year 2030, including electric versions of Mercedes-Benz’s G-class wagons and AMG high-performance vehicles.

This came after many countries across the globe push against the sales of internal combustion engine vehicles in the coming decades. Championed by countries and regions such as the European Union, China, and the state of California all said they would ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by the year 2035.