► Solid-state tech promises 800+miles
► Should be here by 2030
► But how much range do we need?
Mercedes just got a lot closer to making a solid-state electric car that you can actually buy. An EQS saloon mule fitted with new solid-state battery tech completed 1205km (749 miles) without recharging, with around 137km (85 miles) left in the tank. Unlike Mercedes’ GTXX testing, this wasn’t done on a purpose-built test track like Nardo either: the trial was carried out from Stuttgart to Malmö in Sweden on real roads, so it has real-life relevance.
The route was simply calculated using what Mercedes calls ‘Electric Intelligence.’ That essentially means the EQS took the most efficient route when taking into account topography, traffic, ambient temperature as well as heating and cooling requirements. And yes, no ferries were used either.
The news marks a slew of updates from Mercedes around the 2025 Munich motor show, but it could be the most significant of the lot.
What’s more, it appears most of the hard work around solid-state has now been done: ‘In cooperation with HPP in [Brixworth], we created a battery pack. And that’s the toughest engineering problem, because the cell expands by 30% you have to control this,’ said Mercedes CTO, Markus Schäfer in an interview with CAR magazine. To control this expansion and shift in size, the battery pack must use pneumatic actuators on the cells. They react to changes in volume when the cells charge and discharge.
‘So we got all the patents and engineering work done. We control it. We have a battery of a car in the same box (footprint) of the car,’ Schäfer continued. ‘It works in a car. It drives perfectly. So we took a big step here. Now we have to achieve it in series.’
When it comes to production is the next big question. This new benchmark moves Mercedes a step closer to rolling out solid-state tech to series, but there’s still a long road ahead. But it might be sooner than you’d think.
The GTXX, Mercedes’ other record-breaker, will enter production in 2026 and will use a virtually identical powertrain and running gear to the car that set records in 2025.
However, it looks like we’ll be waiting longer for solid-state and 2030 will be the deadline. ‘With the successful long-distance drive of the EQS, we show that this technology delivers not only in the lab but also on the road,’ added Schäfer. ‘Our goal is to bring innovations like this into series production by the end of the decade and offer our customers a new level of range and comfort.’
We have a full solid-state battery technology explainer on another page, but the pack in the EQS mule was developed by Mercedes Stuttgart as well as its High Performance Powertrain division in Brixworth. F1 fans will know that department’s responsible for the Formula One engines that power the Mercedes, Williams and McLaren teams.
The input of HPP is something that will continue to increase as Stuttgart’s road cars grapple with battery-cooling and performance challenges – very similar to those experienced by F1 engines.
The cells themselves were made by Factorial Energy, an American company, and they use Factorial Electrolyte System Technology.
Solid-state has long been lauded as the next big thing due to its superior energy density compared to current battery technology. For example, the current EQS has a range of some 480 miles, and the just-revealed GLC EV can do 443. The forthcoming C-Class EV is targeting 497 miles.
The only other question is: ‘do we even need more range?’ It’s quite possible that we may have hit the ideal electric driving range for consumers, without the use of solid-state technology anyway. In that case if solid-state tech does appear in production, it’ll be used in performance cars where its superior energy density could have packaging and weight benefits.
Let us know what you think in the comments.
Curtis Moldrich is CAR magazine’s Digital Editor and has worked for the brand for the past five years. He’s responsible for online strategy, including CAR’s website, social media channels such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, and helps on wider platform strategy as CAR magazine branches out on to Apple News+ and more.
By Curtis Moldrich
CAR's Digital Editor, F1 and sim-racing enthusiast. Partial to clever tech and sports bikes
