A new Czech record was set. Behind it is the EQS electric car
The record-breaking model is the EQS in the 450+ version, which, in addition to the dynamic 245 kW powertrain, also boasts low fuel consumption and a WLTP range of 780 km. In practice, the figure of almost 853 km is proof that, with anticipatory driving, it is possible to go beyond the legal limit. The actual consumption during the test, determined after charging the battery back to 100 % including charging losses, was 13.43 kWh/100 km, which, with domestic charging and a price of around 4 CZK/kWh for households using more electricity also for charging the electric car, corresponds to a cost of around 0.54 CZK per 1 km of driving.
"The EQS has proven that it is at the very top not only in terms of design, technology, comfort and safety, but also in terms of economy and environmental friendliness," says Wolfgang Bremm von Kleinsorgen, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Czech Republic. "I congratulate the record-breakers on their achievement and believe that the EQS has not said its last word in this respect."
The crew of the record-breaking car consisted of an experienced pair of Tomíšek brothers. The main driver was Marek Tomíšek, the editor-in-chief of the fDrive.cz web portal, who has been driving fuel-efficiently for more than 15 years. For safety reasons, he took turns on the route with his brother Miroslav, also a seasoned expert in efficient driving and a fan of electric vehicles, who has driven nearly a quarter of a million kilometres with them.
"The EQS has proved that it is unrivalled among electric vehicles in Europe in terms of drive efficiency and range. The recuperation selection setting via the paddles under the steering wheel works very well. Most of the time we used the 'glide' mode and several times we drove several kilometres down a slight hill without stepping on the pedal," says Marek Tomíšek.
The conditions for the record-breaking drive were not quite ideal. "It was quite cold in the morning and later on the rain joined in, which also has a negative effect on consumption. In the afternoon, however, the rain stopped and the temperature rose above 15 degrees," says Marek Tomíšek. Part of the record attempt was to simulate as much as possible the normal driving style, so the drivers set themselves the goal of driving around the whole country and not avoiding even mountainous areas. In total, they visited 13 of the 14 regions, including the capital city of Prague, and kept to the upper limits of the speed limits - the proof is the fact that they covered 641.7 km in the first 10 hours.
"But we think the EQS electric car has even more potential. With a combination of better weather and the basic equipment version, and on standard, smaller wheels, it could do much more. Especially if we also had the safety feature of remote access to the battery reserve," calculates Marek Tomíšek.
This safety feature is used to give customers who find themselves in an emergency situation access to the reserve capacity otherwise intended to protect the battery. However, it can only be used in exceptional cases, which was not the purpose of this ride. On the contrary, it was intended to prove the usability of the modern electric car in normal conditions.
The EQS is the first car on a completely new platform developed exclusively for luxury electric models. The design features a number of advances that contribute to efficient driving, such as a new generation of batteries, high levels of recuperation and recharging speeds, and superior aerodynamics. The EQS is the first production car ever to achieve a frontal air resistance coefficient of cx=0.20. User-friendliness also includes fast charging: the 450+ version's battery can be recharged from 10 to 80% capacity at a fast charging station in 31 minutes, and after a 15-minute DC charge, there is a capacity to drive up to 300 km.
More than two years ago, Mercedes-Benz announced its new corporate strategy Ambition 2039, making it one of the first industrial companies to sign up to sustainable business. The company's goal is to become a fullyCO2-neutral company by 2039, both in terms of production and the vehicles it delivers. Already today, a number of European plants have switched to carbon-neutral production and the brand offers a diverse portfolio of fully electric models: from the EQA, EQB and EQC SUVs to the practical EQV family model and the top-of-the-range EQS. This September, the EQE representative model was unveiled in its world premiere, with more vehicles to follow next year.
