Mercedes-Benz has smashed its own efficiency record with its Vision EQXX, completing a 747-mile marathon from Stuttgart, Germany, to Silverstone in the UK on a single charge, surpassing the previous record by 121 miles in the same vehicle.

The run required Mercedes to negotiate an Autobahn closure, enabling it to be able to travel from Stuttgart towards the French border at Strasbourg along the most efficient route possible. It then proceeded north through France – roughly the distance where the previous record holder EQXX stopped – before crossing the Channel at Calais.

The driver, Nyck de Vries of Mercedes-EQ’s Formula E team, then arrived at Folkestone and continued around the M25 before arriving at Silverstone. The EQXX still wasn’t finished, however, and had enough charge to then complete 11 laps of the historic circuit.

The drive took 14 hours and 30 minutes to complete in total at an average speed of 51.5mph. Thanks to its innovative thermal management system, the EQXX returned an impressive electric consumption of 8.3kWh per 62 miles – about twice what you’d expect from a normal electric family car.

The four-door coupe utilises a 201bhp single electric motor, with energy being drawn from a compact 100kWh battery that is 50% smaller and 30% lighter than the 108kWh pack found in the Mercedes EQS. A collection of 117 solar cells in the roof also add an extra 15 miles of range on a sunny day, further aiding its efficiency.

The Vision EQXX is expected to go on sale at the tail end of 2023 for an estimated cost of £110,000, with Mercedes aiming to go fully electric by 2030.

The EQXX completing its victory laps around Silverstone