All-electric Mercedes EQS 580 sets new world record
Despite a long and challenging journey, the all-electric Mercedes EQS 580 has clinched a Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled on a single charge.
Autocar India and Mercedes-Benz India have set a new Guinness World Record for the longest journey by an electric car on a single charge. The feat was achieved in a Mercedes EQS 580, which travelled an impressive 949km from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai without needing to recharge.
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This record-breaking journey surpassed the previous record of 916.74km, set in the UK by a Ford Mustang Mach-E. The journey was not only long but also challenging, as it was undertaken during the monsoon season, with heavy rainfall and road diversions adding to the difficulty. At one point, the team even had to deal with a flat tyre in the drive’s final stages, which was quickly fixed to keep the journey going.
The choice of the Mercedes EQS 580 was crucial to this achievement. With its 107.8kWh battery pack, the EQS 580 boasts the highest certified range in the market – 857km as per Automotive Research Association of India. The record-breaking drive exceeded this range by over 10%, demonstrating the car’s efficiency and reliability. Its aerodynamic design, with a drag coefficient of just 0.20, further helped to maximise the range.
To achieve the record, the team maintained an average speed of 50-60km/h on the highway. They also used all three levels of regenerative braking available on the EQS to make the most out of every drop of battery power. This combination of disciplined driving and cutting-edge technology made the Guinness World Record possible.
Autocar India’s Rahul Kakar was behind the wheel for this world-beating drive. Reflecting on the experience, he said: “I’ve hypermiled in a lot of vehicles before, both internal combustion and EVs, but this was my first time hypermiling a luxury EV. It’s by far the most challenging test I have undertaken, as in the past I never chased to break an existing record. A lot of factors made it all the more challenging like heavy rainfall, traffic, broken roads and worst of all, getting a flat tyre. With a target to achieve, it was equal hypertension as it was hypermile as the entire time I made calculations of the remaining range of the EQS with each percentage drop in the battery. In retrospect though, all the effort and stress was well worth claiming a Guinness World Records title.”
The achievement also comes at a special time for Autocar India, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Editor Hormazd Sorabjee expressed his pride in the accomplishment, saying: “We are delighted to celebrate our 25th anniversary with a Guinness World Records title. This record of 949.0km on a single charge in adverse conditions is easily the most challenging drive we have ever undertaken. You can never be prepared enough for what Indian roads throw at you but some incredibly disciplined driving in a car like the EQS which has the best range and an efficient aerodynamic shape, helped us overcome all obstacles to achieve this amazing distance without plugging in.”
In South Africa, the EQS 450+ and EQS 450+ AMG Line are priced from R2 827 005 and R2 967 005, respectively.
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