Mercedes Unveils a Concept Car that is Made with Trash

Recycling has become more important than ever, and Mercedes has brought the new EQXX to the stage to give us a new all-electric concept car.

You might not expect to find a luxury vehicle of this ilk using recycled materials and sustainable materials, but they seem to be doing it better than most other automakers. This new concept car is sleek, smooth, futuristic, and it uses recycled materials that can be part of the future of reducing the amount of waste we have in our landfills.

Let’s Face it, We’re the Problem

Humans are both the best and worst creatures for the world we live in. We have discovered ways to make products, machinery, technology, and items that are used to make our lives easier. Unfortunately, the discovery of products that aren’t biodegradable, sustainable, or renewable have caused pollution and waste around the globe. Thankfully, we also have the capability to fix this problem and work to use some of the waste in the new products that we are making. This is where the new concept car from Mercedes comes in and is giving us something new in the luxury market.

The Cabin Needs Materials to Make it Comfortable

If you were to simply go sit on a garbage pile, the experience would not be pleasant, and you’d quickly want to take a shower and do something else. The new Mercedes EQXX is made using materials that are sustainable and recyclable. Some of the items in the materials include mushroom fibers, cactus fibers that have been ground up, and even food scraps. You might not think much of the banana peel you toss out in the garbage, but that peel might become part of the materials used in the vehicle interiors of the future.

Powered by Electricity; This Mercedes is Right

The use of recyclable materials in the fabrics that make up the EQXX isn’t all of the story. This attractive new electric vehicle is made to drive for a long time without needing to be recharged. The estimated driving range of this car is 620 miles, based on computer simulated testing. If this range is accurate, that will put the driving range in a new stratosphere where gasoline vehicles just can’t reach. This car could make cross-country road trips a reality for EV owners who can drive the 600 miles and then plug the vehicle in to charge overnight while they sleep.

By comparison, if the Mercedes EQXX can truly drive the distance quoted without being recharged, it would change the game. Currently, the Toyota Prius Hybrid can reach 588 miles on a single tank of gas, and a Chevrolet Suburban with the diesel engine is good for 644 miles on a 28-gallon tank, but the EQXX range would be the farthest any electric vehicle has accomplished. A demonstration of this driving range is expected to be done in the spring, which will give us a much better idea of what this car can do.

The EQXX Might Lead the Way for Electric Mercedes Driving

The stated goal of having half of the vehicles sold being electric cars by 2025 is much closer than some of us might realize. Only five years after that, this brand intends to be extremely close to being fully electric, but there might be some stops along the way. The EQXX is a concept car that might never see the production line, but it certainly could. Considering the luxury marquee of Mercedes-Benz, it’s possible for this car to be made and offered, regardless of the price that will be expected.

Even if the EQXX doesn’t become a production model, the electric motor and technology of this car will arrive in at least one production model by 2024, which will be the right time for this brand to completely change the EV game.

The Shape Matters

While we haven’t seen this new concept car out on the road during testing, the numbers quoted are pretty impressive. Not only is the driving range much longer than the current Mercedes EQS, but the EQXX is also being made with a battery pack that is half as large and 30 percent lighter than the one in the EQS. This lighter build adds to the efficiency of the car, but so does the shape of the vehicle.

The smooth lines, curved shapes, and total aerodynamics of the new Mercedes EQXX bring a drag coefficient of 0.17. This is much more aerodynamic than the EQXX and better than the Porsche 911, which is one of the most aerodynamic cars in the market. In addition to the impressive shape that is more aerodynamic than a football on a spiral path, the EQXX is made to be as light as possible. The wheels are made from magnesium, and the brakes are made of aluminum. Even the springs used in the suspension are made from glass-fiber reinforced plastic instead of metal. The cost of some of these elements just might keep this car away from the production line, but then again, this might be exactly what we need.

A Truly Unique Body Structure

You know that garbage is being used in the making of the EQXX, but would you expect it to be in the body components? This car has been built with metal only where it’s required to give the car the structural integrity needed for crash safety. This leaves room for a material called UBQ, which is the material made of garbage. This product is made mostly of landfill waste to reuse materials that would otherwise sit, rot, and potentially just build up the hills of the local landfill.

This Sustainable EV Could be the Next Great Luxury Car

Will we see the Mercedes EQXX offered as a production car? Right now, that’s not the plan, but those plans could change. With some of the items mentioned, you can imagine the price tag of this car. Thankfully, some of the technology used to make this car will arrive in another model by 2024, which will give us a new EV lineup to admire.