MERCEDES TARGETS CHARGE TIMES TO DRIVE EV TAKE-UP

Five-minute recharge possible as ELF project pushes tech boundaries

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Mercedes-Benz is targeting one of the final barriers to what it sees as the widespread adoption of electric cars by making the time it takes to recharge as quick and convenient as filling up at a fuel station. Central to this objective is an advanced rolling laboratory known as the Experimental-Lade-Fahrzeug - German for Experimental Charging Vehicle - or ELF for short. Based on a V-Class, it has five different charging ports and serves as a fully mobile research hub designed to explore the outer limits of charging technology, from extreme electrical energy transfer and battery cooling to bidirectional energy flow, automated inductive and conductive charging, solar charging and more.

Increased charging speeds is becoming the main focus for Mercedes as it believes the challenge of battery range has already been largely overcome. Its latest electric models, such as the third-generation CLA saloon, now go close to 500 miles, a figure that puts them within striking distance of long-geared diesel-engined cars for outright range.