To be totally honest, it was not the starting plan.The initial project decided in early December was to make two subjects with this Mercedes EQS: a Paris/Amsterdam roadtrip in one go and, you guessed it, an episode of the device to the breakdown.And then the fifth wave of COVID-19 decided otherwise and the low country has been reconcined.What to do then?It was during the end of year celebrations, Avachi on the sofa and the head fluffed by the sparkling alcohol vapors and the overdose of fat, that the idea came: merger the two concepts to do'a.The stadium ?A triangular circuit having as a summit Auxerre, Dijon and Troyes and for sides A6, A31 and A5 on which there are three Ionity charging stations, La Réserve, Grevrey-Chambertin Est and Troyes Sud.The rules ?Departure with 100 % battery, recharging with the approach of 20 % to go up to 80 % and so on.No ecocondumed or hypermiling, we let the car manage by wedging at the cruise control at limitations and without depriving yourself of using the many on -board equipment.Who participates in it?Will take turns at the wheel your servant and Alain Dalbera who combines driver and executive caps.The goal?Make the longest distance in 24 hours.
dailymotionMercedes EQS 450+: How many kilometers can you do in 24 hours?
We are not the first to embark on this adventure aboard an electric car, there are even several records that have succeeded each other and the latest to my knowledge is that of the famous Youtubeur Bjorn Nyland who made 2,781km in a clock tour aboard a Tesla Model 3.It is a figure that we have no ambition to reach because it was achieved in Germany on a route borrowing unlimited highway portions and in collaboration with Ionity.For our part, approaching the 100 km/h of average charges included would be completely satisfied with us.
However, let's start by presenting the car briefly.5.22 m long, the Mercedes EQS, technological showcase of the German manufacturer in terms of electric car, is the equivalent, on a specific platform, of the class.Three versions exist today: two four -wheel drive 4Matic, 580 and 53+ which develop 523 and 658 hp respectively, and a propulsion version, the 450+, the one we have today, 333 hp.Why this one precisely?Because the three models share the same battery with the colossal useful capacity of 107.8 kWh and it is therefore the smallest EQS which displays the greatest efficiency and the greatest autonomy, with an average consumption ranging from 15.620.2 kWh/100 km, a real performance when you have 2,480 kg to move, and up to 784 km possible in one load.Do not look for, that's what we do better on the market in the field.
The very futuristic line of the EQS did not fail to often attract the attention of other road users during these 24 hours.
Our starting point is the area of the reserve, located on the A6 about 130 km from Paris, which gives us time to make some outdoor images before the help of a second cameraman, Eddy Clio.During a break on the nemours area to change the angle of the GoPro, I decide to take advantage of these few minutes to make a first improvised recharge by discovering that there are ionity terminals, not really out of necessity but beforeall by curioste.I plug the car, I pass the card provided by Mercedes which offers a year of free load, the valid terminal and launches the load ... before interrupting a few seconds later after having delivered only 0.4 kWh and by proudly displaying "Load finished ”, which was far from being the case.The successive reminders end up in an identical result and it is then time to hit the road without being really serene.Will our goal be miserably failed from the first charge?
The first charge before departure, the only one that we will push up to 100 %.
Images made, we then arrive at the area of the reserve where the chronometer would be officially launched.But above all, you have to find 100 % of the recharge.This time, everything goes without incident: the charge launches and maintains itself.While the EQS is stuffed with electrons, we turn the introduction of the video and we barely have time to finish that the car finished its meal, perfectly paid.We unplug it and ignore the A6: it is precisely 1:14 p.m..
Cruise control started at 130 km/h, the kilometers parade quickly.Arrived at the Dijon level, we leave the A6 to borrow the A31 Full East before going up north via the A5.We then take a first break at the Troyes Sud Ionity terminal.We discover then that it is not located on an area: you have to get out of the highway and enter a commercial area before finding it in a parking lot between a closed restaurant and a hotel does not want.Strictly nothing is offered in terms of refueling or comfort but, fortunately, we were provident and there is worse than the real cocoon that is the interior of the EQS to wait.And it is already impressive: it remains 18 % of battery, we made precisely 367 km at 124 km/h on average, consumption is an excellent 22.9 kWh/100 km from the size of thecar, at the rate adopted and at the outside temperature of 5 degrees, which gives theoretical autonomy on 470 km highway.Enough to make Paris/Lyon in one go in the middle of winter.New success to launch the load but we are however far from the peak at 200 kW announced by Mercedes, with a maximum reached of 162 kW to 50 % of the battery capacity.After recovering 74 kWh in 33 minutes to arrive at 82 % of the battery, we interrupt the load at the time when the power passes below 100 kW and here we go.
The first 367 kilometers with 18 % remaining battery suggest that we can theoretically do up to 470 km of highway in a load with this EQS.
We then finish a first round by going back to the area of the reserve without stopping by taking up the A6 to the south.And it is at night, 329 km further, that we stop for a second charge in the area of Gevrey Chambertin is, much more welcoming than that of Troyes Sud, before leaving after 34 minutes once 75 kWhrecovered.We are always above the 100 km/h of average charges included but the temperature is close to zero and consumption is affected, climbing little by little.We continue to chain the towers, choosing to stop that on the terminals of the reserve and Gevrey Chambertin is, which also corresponds to a break every two hours in accordance with the recommendations of road safety.Eight hours after departure, we have traveled 829 km at 122 km/h on average, a figure that we will keep until the end, the consumption then stood at 23.2 kWh/100 km.Two hours later, the 1,000 km bar has already been crossed: we are 1,022 km at 23.3 kWh/100 km.
After eight hours then ten hours by road, we are still above the 100 km/h on average charges included.
The Mercedes Eqs is imperial, of absolutely extraordinary comfort, whether by its pushed soundproofing, its perfectly enveloping seats or its amortization of a flying carpet.Everything is not perfect, however: the adaptive cruise control regularly detects ghost limitations, at least once every 100 km, for example as a reference of panels intended for cars with trailer or deceleration tracks.And the hyperscreen, these three screens of 12.3, 17.7 and 12.3 inches occupying the entire width of the dashboard, quickly loses the attraction of novelty: we ended up turning it off, embarrassed byToo much brightness.Is this worth the € 8,568 requested to be equipped on the 450+ version?Not in our opinion.For massage seats, opinions are shared.Alain is a big fan but gives me the impression of being in the cinema and having a poorly raised child behind who presses with his feet on my file.
Most of the time, we were totally alone in charge.
Midnight go and we get into the hard.At the heart of the night, we are entitled to everything: thick fog, hesitant temperatures between -0.5 and 0.5 degrees, heavy rain then turning into real snowstorm.We waste more time with a strangely slower charge than the others.
After a difficult night, we cross the 2,000 km mark with 24 minutes late on our goal.But all is not lost.
The average is affected: while the day rises, we spend the 2,000 km in 20 hours and 24 minutes, at 24.2 kWh/100 km on average.More than four hours.The weather does not help us: it is 10:00 am and the sandys only passed on an A6 track, forcing us to drive behind a heavyweight for several kilometers.
Fog and snow have not spared us.
But suddenly, a miracle occurs.Following the second live made in the early morning on our Facebook page, a member tells us about a tip that leaves us dubious first.So far, we returned each time the next charging station at destination in the GPS by being convinced that this was enough to launch the preheating of the battery in order to reach the greatest power.But it is obviously nothing: it would be necessary to inform a destination which cannot be reached by arranging so that the GPS offers to make a recharge on the area that we have chosen.A real hack but, while we see our goal of finishing at 100 km/h on average fly away, we decide to try for the last two recharges.And, believe it or not, but it works: the whole charging curve seems to increase by fifteen kW, with a peak of 177 kW observed!What to win precious minutes allowing us to regain hope!
The last load, while the snow begins to pile up on the front of the EQS.
It is 11:40 am, we have 190 km left to travel in an hour and a half, which seems easily achievable, and we have just made our last charge.By being, I admit, a little player, interrupting the load in a precocious way to have just what it takes from KWH to finish compared to our average consumption recorded so far.Are we going to launch a new section entitled "The A6 motorway until pain"?Highly possible.Snow has stopped falling but heavy goods vehicles are in number and visibly want to double on the 2x2 -way portion on which we are then.Never mind: it is 12:14 p.m. and we are at 2,271 km.One hour to do 129 km!
The tension is palpable in the passenger compartment but Alain then behind the wheel remains of an imperial calm in the face of my gestures stressed in the passenger seat.1:14 p.m., the 24 hours are finished: we have traveled 2,401 km at an average of 24.6 kWh/100 km: adding the 19 hours and 39 minutes on the road to 122 km/h and the 4 hours and 21 minutesdevoted to eight charges, we reach an average of 100.04 km/h, achieving our goal with frightening precision.
The final result: just a very small kilometer above our ambition, just what it takes to cross the 100 km/h on average.
And no, we did not break down next, but we were not far away, arriving at the next ionity terminal with only 8 km of autonomy remaining.
What should we remember from this experience?That we can therefore consider long trips by electric car.Do we really need a Mercedes EQS 450+ at € 127,250 to achieve it?Absolutely not, even if it offers incredible comfort.What we have done, that is to say riding in the middle of winter at the regulator at 130 km/h on the highway between 20 and 80% load using comfort and entertainment equipment and stop every two hours forRecharge, we could have done with many other models currently on the market and displayed at much more accessible prices.A Hyundai Ioniq 5 to 46,800 €, a KIA EV6 2WD at 47,990 € or a Tesla Model 3 Great autonomy at 55,990 € could even do much better, largely compensating for the smallest battery by greater efficiency and charging powersTutoring 250 kW.We were also promised the greatest difficulties with the ionity load network but it is clear that, apart from our little failure before the departure when we did not take the time or call the audience or even to change ourterminal, we have not encountered any problem.
However, there remains a concession to make compared to thermal vehicles, very light, which takes only a few minutes if you are not used to it, a few seconds with a little experience: you have to prepare your trip before taking the road.Some cars, like this EQS, offer it via the GPS functions once your destination is back, indicating to which terminal you will have to stop to achieve it.The best, however, remains the applications offering the same functions and adding others.The best is undoubtedly now ChargeMap allowing you for example to know remotely if the terminals are occupied and read the comments of the latest users.It can also be associated with a map of the same name operating without subscription and allowing access to a large number of charging networks, in France or abroad.The other predilection application is to be better planner or abrp for intimate, simple and easy to use.By crossing the information of these two applications to reduce the margins of error and by moving on a few charging cards (two in my opinion, that which can usually be obtained from the vehicle brand generally offering preferential rates,and ChargeMap), we can then calmly consider the big travel without emission.
