Mercedes-Benz reveals latest battery tech at CES to overcome EV range anxiety and beat Tesla

Electric cars that can travel up to 1000km on a single charge thanks to newer and cheaper battery technology are set to hit the market.

Electric cars will travel up to 1000km on a single charge and battery technology will become cheaper to make longer range EVs affordable, thanks to new battery technologies and increased engine and drive train efficiency.

At the CES technology show, Mercedes-Benz is previewing its Vision EQXX concept car offering a range of 1000km plus and a power consumption rate less than 10 kilowatt hours of energy per 100km, according to Daimler. It plans to build it within 18 months.

“The Vision EQXX demonstrates precisely what will make an electric vehicle a Mercedes-Benz in the future, with lightweight design, battery innovations and new materials,” said Mercedez maker Daimler.

The company said it won’t make the EQXX battery bigger or heavier. The new battery will comprise silicon anodes and lightweight materials and deliver 200 watt hours per kilogram. Additionally the EQXX will draw power from solar cells on the roof.

“On a single day with ideal conditions, this can produce up to 25 kilometres extra range for long-distance journeys,” the company said.

Inside the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX

Reuters reports that Daimler plans to spend $US45bn by 2030 on EVs including the construction of eight battery factories.

The upcoming second generation Tesla Roadster also purports a 1000km range but you’ll pay more than $300,000 to buy one.

The Tesla Model S Long Range Plus can drive more than 660km, the BMW iX xDrive50 goes for up to 630km, but cheaper electric cars typically offer 300-400 km on one charge.

Developments in battery technology are not the only factor that will extend range and drive down cost, designs and motors are crucial too, but newer batteries are key to long range EVs being affordable.

Solid state batteries are one option and car makers have heavily invested in building factories to make them.

At CES, Korean firm SK Innovation has won an Innovation Award for its NCM9 battery, which is a lithium, nickel, manganese cobalt oxide battery. It says this configuration improves output and driving range, and reduces charging time.

2021 Tesla Model S EV

The site metal.com reports that SKI’s decision to increase the nickel content to 90 per cent reduced the cobalt content to 5 per cent, and increased electric vehicle mileage to 700km. It also reduced charging time and, most importantly, greatly reduced cost. In 2020, Ski said its cells required only two quick 10-minute charges to cover more than 800km.

Ford F-150 pick-up trucks planned for 2023 are due to feature these NCM9 energy dense batteries. Rival LG Energy Solution plans to launch a variant – an NCMA (nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminium) battery and has reached a deal with Tesla.

At CES, Los Angeles firm Nanotech Energy won an award for its nonflammable graphene battery which is another option for cars; Chinese firm GAC, which uses it in its Aion V sedan, claims an eight minute charge time.

SK Innovations NCM9 battery won an award at CES 2022

Director of industry analysis and business intelligence at the Consumer Technology Association, Richard Koalski, said many of the 119 automotive companies at CES were showcasing EVs. This year’s show included more SUV electric vehicles.

He said BMW was displaying its iX M60 EV which can gain up to 150km range in 10 minutes of charging. Some of the vehicles on display had ranges up to 640km.

There were new EV propositions at CES, for example Vietnamese EV firm Vinfast was promoting a rental model where they replace a car’s batteries after they decline to 70 per cent efficiency.

Several manufacturers are showing off electric boat engines, sparking a new genre of EV boating.