Mercedes-Benz is preparing to make radical changes on its future lineup of all-electric vehicles, and the German luxury carmaker has previewed this future with the all-new EQXX concept which will preview a whole trove of production bound technologies that will eventually make their way to future EQ models.
A Whole New Look Is Coming
One of the things that many observers will notice is that the EQXX is previewing a brand new front fascia design for the lineup. The grille less space is smooth and aerodynamic and even the hood-mounted metal tri-star is gone. Fans of the star will be pleased to hear that in its place, designers have added a painted one on the hood. The headlights are aerodynamically shaped and Mercedes reps themselves revealed that the grille less nose will be a production certainty. As for the wild rear end, look for that piece of real estate to see the bulk of the changes towards production both in the name of scale and various safety regulations. In the meantime, we do like the slick wraparound treatment for the taillights as well as the bodywork that obviously gets its inspiration from racing.
Renewable EQXX Interior Blurs Expectations
The interior of the EQXX also comes packed with production-ready cues that help push the car into uncharted design territory. Some of the materials in the cabin are made out of renewable materials and the faux leather is made out of pulverized cacti and mushrooms. The dashboard is dominated by a variant of the company’s “Hyperscreen” technology and while the splashes of metal and the seat and control layout are purely just for show at this point, it certainly does a good job of getting plenty of attention when you look at it from multiple angles.
It also is a welcoming breath of fresh air when the EQXX is compared to modern Tesla models which have always been known for being one of the benchmarks in the electric vehicle segment especially when it comes to interior styling and technology.
EQXX Brings Solar Power Roof New Battery Tech To Future Models
Performance is also on prominent display here in the EQXX with Mercedes Reps claiming that the electric drive system will eventually roll out in production models sometime in 2024. The electric drive unit has been designed from the ground up to work seamlessly with the electric motors, the transmission, and the power electronics which would be an evolution over what’s already seen in current EQ badged models.
The system also includes next-generation silicon carbide technology and can even be paired with a solar-powered roof. The latter item will not charge the battery, but rather it’ll help take some of the load off of it with the panel being tasked with powering various aspects of the interior including the lighting, HVAC system, and even the infotainment system. The concept can also be configured to support two different electric motor configurations with the single electric motor producing 201 hp. A more powerful dual-motor arrangement can also be equipped, but Mercedes stopped short of telling us what kind of mileage we could be looking at for both configurations.
As mentioned, the bulk of these technologies will slowly come into action in 2024 which is already shaping up to be a big year for Mercedes and its EV aspirations especially with some of the renewable technologies that will eventually arrive on their next crop of EV models.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.