Mumbai : In a landmark achievement that underscores the future of mobility, Autocar India and Mercedes-Benz India have set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Longest Journey by an Electric Car on a Single Charge, covering 949.0km in the Mercedes EQS 580 from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai without plugging in.
Autocar India has beaten the previous record of 916.74km, set in the UK by a Ford Mustang Mach E.
While the record is an impressive feat in itself, the arduous conditions during this drive made it an even greater achievement. Undertaken in the thick of the monsoon, the route from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai saw the car get lashed with torrential rainfall on many stretches, making for tricky driving conditions during an already high-pressure record-setting drive. The exceptionally heavy monsoon has also resulted in roadwork needing to be carried out at many spots along the route, creating diversions and detours, further upping the challenge. The final curveball came in the form of a puncture during the closing stages of the drive, which was quickly and efficiently dealt with, and the run continued.
The choice of car was crucial and the Mercedes EQS was the obvious pick. Not least because its massive 107.8kWh battery pack affords the EQS 580 the highest certified range in the market, coming in at 857km as per ARAI. The record-setting mileage managed was even higher than this certified range, exceeding it by over 10 percent. The Mercedes EQS’ drag coefficient of just 0.20 makes it the most aerodynamically efficient car in India, further helping maximise range.
An average speed of 50-60kph was maintained on the highway to maximise range. Along with this, all three levels of regen were used on the car to eke out every last kilometre from the battery pack, making this GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title possible.
The man behind the wheel for the record, Autocar India’s very own Rahul Kakar, remarks on the world-beating achievement:
“I’ve hypermiled in a lot of vehicles before, both internal combustion and EVs, but this was my first time hypermiling a luxury EV. It’s by far the most challenging test I have undertaken, as in the past I never chased to break an existing record. A lot of factors made it all the more challenging like heavy rainfall, traffic, broken roads and worst of all, getting a flat tyre. With a target to achieve, it was equal hypertension as it was hypermile as the entire time I made calculations of the remaining range of the EQS with each percentage drop in the battery. In retrospect though, all the effort and stress was well worth claiming a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title.”
Autocar India is proud to celebrate not only this record-setting achievement, but also proudly marks its 25th anniversary. Speaking on the occasion, Editor Hormazd Sorabjee remarks:
“We are delighted to celebrate our 25th anniversary with a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title. This record of 949.0km on a single charge in adverse conditions is easily the most challenging drive we have ever undertaken. You can never be prepared enough for what Indian roads throw at you but some incredibly disciplined driving in a car like the EQS which has the best range and an efficient aerodynamic shape, helped us overcome all obstacles to achieve this amazing distance without plugging in”
Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, shared his excitement:
“I thank all the early adopters of BEVs and every EQS customer for their trust in Mercedes-Benz, for creating a greener planet, by leading this BEV transition from the front. Congratulations to Autocar India team for accomplishing the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title, driving a ‘Made in India’ EQS sedan, under real and arduous driving conditions from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai during the monsoon.”
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