Mercedes-Benz EQS Breaks New Ground: 749 Miles on One Charge with Solid-State Battery

Mercedes-Benz has achieved a major milestone in EV range and battery tech: in a real-world test, a modified EQS with a prototype solid-state battery traveled 749 miles (1,205 km) on a single charge.

The test drove the EQS from Stuttgart, Germany to Malmö, Sweden, crossing Germany and Denmark. At the end of the run, the car still had about 85 miles (137 km) of range remaining. The route was optimized: it used Mercedes’ “Electric Intelligence” navigation to account for topography, traffic, ambient temperature, heating/cooling loads, etc. Also, the route avoided ferries to keep it a continuous drive.

The Technology Behind It

• The battery is a lithium-metal solid-state pack built in collaboration with Factorial Energy. The tech is referred to as FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology).
• While compared to the standard liquid-electrolyte battery of the EQS, this prototype solid-state pack delivers about 25% more usable energy in the same size & weight envelope.
• To deal with volume changes in cells during charge/discharge, the pack uses pneumatic actuators that dynamically manage internal pressure to preserve performance and durability.

Implications & What It Means

• This demonstration shows that solid-state battery technology is getting closer to being not just laboratory curiosities, but viable in “real world” long-distance driving.
• With a remaining buffer of range after such a long drive, it suggests that future EVs equipped with similar tech could offer ranges exceeding today’s longest EVs, reducing or eliminating “range anxiety” for many users.
• Mercedes says it aims to bring solid-state batteries into series production by the end of the decade.

Caveats / What to Watch

• The vehicle was lightly modified; it’s not yet a production model. Some optimizations or special engineering was likely part of enabling this distance.
• Conditions (speed, weather, load, route) affect how this would translate to everyday use. Real traffic, heavier loads, climate extremes could reduce range.
• Cost, manufacturability, battery durability, safety in mass production, and charging infrastructure remain open questions. Solid-state tech tends to be more challenging to scale and cost more initially.

The post Mercedes-Benz EQS Breaks New Ground: 749 Miles on One Charge with Solid-State Battery appeared first on EV Meme.