Mercedes harnesses a powerful weapon – its F1 program – to overtake Tesla on electric vehicles

BRIXWORTH, UK — Mercedes-Benz brought its Formula 1 team into the engineering process to build a much more efficient mass market tram (EVs), reducing development time by a quarter or more as it begins to attempt to catch up with Tesla.

F1 The final technology is always incorporated into mass-market vehicles. But Mercedes‘ F1’s partnership to create more efficient electric cars faster is unprecedented as it brings racing thinking and technological expertise directly into the product development process.

After decades of leadership in internal combustion engine technology, established automakers like Mercedes have lagged behind Tesla in the field of electric vehicles. Steven Merkt, head of transportation solutions at TE Connectivity, a major automotive supplier, says Mercedes’ F1 team can help get them back in the race.

“No one feels more pressured than Mercedes to be the innovation leader here,” Merkt said. “They have to push it out or they’re not Mercedes anymore.”

Last year, Mercedes unveils EQXX concept car (shown above), the super efficient EV is capable of operating in more range 745 miles, developed in conjunction with the German luxury car manufacturer’s F1 team in the UK.

The EQXX took only 18 months to develop, drawing on the F1 team’s rapid work experience to increase efficiency from the engine and electric motor, aerodynamics and rolling resistance, the company said.

“We have an advantage here with Formula 1 that others don’t have,” said Mercedes Chief Technology Officer Markus Schaefer. “Tesla doesn’t have it. The other teams don’t have it.”

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Speed ​​is increasingly important because new entrants, especially Tesla, can develop or adapt models much faster than older automakers. Chinese manufacturers of high-speed electric vehicles have cut development time to an average of 2.5 years and are launching innovative, cheaper models in Europe.

The need for speed goes hand in hand with a push among automakers to make electric vehicles more efficient and therefore cost less – by reducing weight, improving range and using less. . battery materials were in short supply. Vendors say efficiency is now baked into some EV contracts as automakers look to make their vehicles more affordable.

“Efficiency is a key determinant of accelerating global EV adoption,” said Schaefer.

The parts that Mercedes have learned from the EQXX will be in the new EV platform that will enter production in 2024, including aerodynamics, powertrain components and the vehicle’s software system. .

Schaefer says applying its F1 approach, Mercedes has cut new car average development time from 58 months to go from drawing board to mass production to the “low 40s”. For derivatives – similar models built using the same foundation – the goal is the “lowest 30s”.

F1 engine team at car mercedes amg High Performance Powertrain (HPP) in Brixworth, central England is currently working on at least half a dozen new projects developing parts for mass-market Mercedes models – batteries, inverters and new parts. generations of the engine, Schaefer said.

‘Ready for the next race’

HPP’s chief technology officer Adam Allsopp said he received a call from Mercedes’ headquarters in Stuttgart, who kicked off the EQXX project at a former cowshed while on holiday on the Isle of Wight in August. 2020. This project comes with a clear and difficult challenge – to build an electric vehicle capable of driving 1,000 kilometers on a single charge.

Allsopp says the F1 fuel limits imposed in 2014 have forced HPP to develop engines and cars that maximize every drop of fuel and “chase every watt of loss” from two electric motors, Allsopp said. said.

“It’s a fundamental part of who we are to always be ready for the next race,” says Allsopp.

Applying that racing mindset, F1 engineers in nearby Brixworth and Brackley worked with a team in Stuttgart to produce the EQXX – using a flexible approach that allowed the team to continue growing before the battery of EV is ready and then adjust the plan as it becomes available.

The EQXX features a battery pack half the size of Mercedes’ flagship EQS SUV, compact electronic hardware, and a new operating system. Coupled with slick aerodynamics, it allows it to run more than 1,200 km from Stuttgart to Silverstone in the UK on a single charge, consuming 8.3 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per 100 km.

For comparison, Tesla says its range 3 . sample consumes 16 kWh per 100 km.

To maintain the pace of bringing elements of the EQXX into mass production in 2024 on its new compact Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) platform, the German automaker has developed a digital model. of the factory in Rastatt — the same car will also be produced in Hungary And China — to “simulate assembly” and thus accelerate the factory’s physical transition to building new electric vehicles, said CTO Schaefer.

Traditionally, automakers have carried out “mid-life” upgrades on models after three or four years, but Schaefer said “updates for electric vehicles will be more frequent”.

‘Name of the game’ is effective

Others in the auto industry are also stepping up the race for speed and efficiency.

Ford Motor Co has announced plans to follow in the footsteps of Mercedes with its return to F1 racing in 2026, providing “an extremely cost-effective platform for innovation, ideas and technology sharing”, the CEO said. executive Jim Farley said in February.

And volkswagen said it aims to cut the time-to-market of new Chinese models from four years to roughly the 2.5-year Chinese average, in part by localizing more research and development. more developed.

Liam Butterworth, CEO of supplier Dowlais, whose side axles are used in nine of the world’s 10 best-selling electric vehicles, said automakers are very focused on efficiency, a Some manufacturers now offer penalties to suppliers who fail to meet performance targets.

OneD Battery Science adds silicon to the anode of an EV battery to reduce weight, reduce costs, and charge the battery faster. common engine has invested in the Palo Alto, California-based company and is working on using the technology in the US automaker’s Ultium batteries, both companies said.

OneD CEO Vincent Pluvinage said in the second quarter the company will announce more deals with automakers looking for cheaper, more efficient electric vehicles. He declined to provide more details about the arrangements.

“Increasing performance and reducing costs is the name of the game,” says Pluvinage. “If you have a technology that works, but you’re asking for high fees, then the automakers won’t be interested.”

To date, automakers have added batteries to vehicles to increase electric range, exacerbating shortages of raw materials such as lithium and cobalt. But HPP’s Allsopp says making electric vehicles more efficient allows automakers to use smaller batteries, making them greener and cheaper.

“Just throwing a battery at something is not a smart solution,” says Allsopp. “If you find clever ways to achieve the same range: that’s better for the customer, the automaker and the planet.”