Mercedes rings in 1,000kW top up charging speeds with ELF rolling laboratory
Mercedes is seeking to achieve charging speed parity with filling up at a petrol station thanks to its all-electric VQB-based rolling laboratory called the Experimental-Lade-Fahrzeug (‘Experimental Charging Car’ or ‘ELF’ for short.
A four-wheeled research centre designed to bring charging speeds down to as little as five minutes, the Mercedes ELF has five different charging ports, including a heavy-duty Megawatt Charging System (MCS) and a dual-port combined charging system (CCS).
Mercedes claims that the ELF can hit charging speeds of up to 900kW, enough to add 100kWh of electricity in 10 minutes.
The ELF’s MCS is derived from electric truck tech, and its port is hidden beneath the three-pointed star in the centre of the four-wheeled research centre’s grille. The system was devised to test the battery’s thermal resiliance under heavy charging.
Already, the dual CCS/MCS system used on the ELF has influenced the electrical architecture of the Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept, which reached a peak charging speed of 1041kW in a record-breaking endurance run a the Nardò test facility in August this year.
The system is a modified version of commercial truck charger capable of delivering over 3000kW worth of charge. Here, Mercedes teamed with Italian chargemasters Alpitronic, and the unit is a precursor to the next generation of ultra-high-capacity chargers the Stuttgart carmaker plans to introduce.
As well as its ultra-rapid charging systems, the Mercedes ELF comes with an inductive charging system capable of transferring a wireless 11kW worth of electromagnetic charge via coils on the ground and in the car.
Mercedes is also working on automated conductive charging, where a connector rises from the ground. Wireless EV charging is not especially new, as charging specialists Electreon have already introduced inductive automotive charging in several locations across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
The ELF comes with bi-directional charging, enabling the vehicle to power a home (vehicle-to-home), feed electricity back into the grid (vehicle-to-grid), or power items such as tools or outdoor equipment (vehicle-to-load).
The ELF explores a photovoltaic roof with moncystystalline silicon cells, which can add up to 19 miles worth of range each day in sunny weather conditions. Renault also experimented with a similar system on its Emblème earlier this year.
As well as influencing the AMG GT XX concept, Mercedes hopes to transfer further learnings from the ELF to the rest of its EV range as it looks to usher in a five minute, 500-mile charging stop (100 miles per minute) by the end of the decade.
What’s more, the Stuttgart carmaker’s all-electric cars are now returning ranges not too far from diesels with the new CLA EQ achieving 484 miles from an 85kWh battery.
Moreover, the electrified saloon has a blisteringly fast charging speed of 320kW, thanks to Mercedes’ newly-introduced 800V, MMA platform.
Earlier this year, Mercedes also experimented with a solid state battery version of its luxury EQS flagship, which achieved a derv-bothering 749 miles from a single charge.
