- A Mercedes-Benz EQS prototype completed a 1205km trip without a single charging stop.
- The solid-state battery, co-developed with AMG and Factorial Energy, increased usable energy by 25%.
- Mercedes-Benz aims to bring solid-state batteries into series production by the end of this decade.
Mercedes-Benz has pulled off a record-breaking real-world test of its lithium-metal solid-state battery technology, sending a lightly modified EQS from Stuttgart to Malmo without a single charging stop.
The 1205km journey spanned Germany, Denmark and Swede - edging out the Vision EQXX’s previous Stuttgart–Silverstone mark by three kilometres - and still left 137km of range on arrival.
The drive, completed at the end of August, forms part of a wider validation programme for Mercedes-Benz’s next-generation battery tech.
As well as lab work and simulations at Stuttgart-Unterturkheim and Sindelfingen, the company is testing its new chemistry on public roads to accelerate the path to series production. Routes are planned using the brand’s Electric Intelligence system, which factors in topography, traffic, and climate control needs—this time avoiding ferries altogether.
F1 brains behind the battery
The solid-state pack was developed with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP), the group’s Formula 1 technology centre in the UK, using lithium-metal cells supplied by US-based Factorial Energy and its FEST electrolyte system. Pneumatic actuators inside the pack manage the cell volume changes that occur during charging and discharging, ensuring consistent contact pressure and long-term reliability.
Mercedes-Benz says the new pack delivers 25% more usable energy than the standard EQS battery while keeping weight and size comparable. Passive airflow cooling adds to the efficiency gains, hinting at a step-change for future electric models.
Series production on the horizon
“The solid-state battery is a true gamechanger for electric mobility. 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,” said Markus Schäfer, Mercedes-Benz CTO for Development & Procurement. “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”.
If the Stuttgart-Malmo run is any indication, the end-of-decade target could mark a major leap for electric vehicles, one that gives drivers far more time on the open road and far less tethered to the plug.
