Mercedes-Benz will team up with Chinese battery provider CATL to create a battery capable of 700km on a single charge.
The lithium-ion battery pack will be used in the upcoming EQS electric flagship, which Mercedes-Benz will offer range to put Tesla in the shade on the tough WLTP test cycle.
Should its range figure prove accurate, the EQS will become the longest-range electric vehicle in production, at least under the Tesla Roadster arrives with its claimed 997km range.
In comparison, the Tesla Model S variant with the longest range – the aptly-named Long Range – achieves 610km under WLTP measures.
The EQS will be the first Mercedes-Benz to be developed from scratch as an electric vehicle and will use the company’s new Modular Electric Architecture.
It’ll be manufactured at the company’s Sindelfingen plant in Germany alongside the S-Class, with batteries produced in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim.
The CATL batteries for the EQS will be manufactured at a facility in central Germany using renewable energy, as Mercedes pushes for lithium-ion packs that are carbon neutral through the production process.
Along with the long-range battery packs, CATL and Daimler, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, will share research about fast charging and lithium-ion technology.
“We intend to lead in battery technologies, so we are now combining our own research and development expertise with bold partners,” a Mercedes-Benz representative said in a statement.
“We will integrate cutting-edge battery systems to create luxury cars with outstanding range, charging speed, safety and sustainability.”
CATL has positioned itself as a leader in the race for longer-range lithium-ion batteries. The company earlier this year announced it has developed the first battery capable of lasting 16 years or 2 million kilometres.
It may be long-lasting and reusable, but the milestone battery will cost 10 per cent more than current EV batteries.
Whether this means the initial price of electric cars will increase even more for consumers remains to be seen, despite the battery being deemed the holy grail for reducing ownership costs.
