Conversation with Mercedes-Benz Greater China Head Olef Thor: It’s Not About Speed Alone, But About Being Fast and Enduring
Mercedes-Benz: Defining the Electric Performance Era
Mercedes-Benz has always been a brand capable of defining what a “car” truly is.
More than a century ago, founder Karl Benz invented the modern automobile. Today, AMG sets the benchmark for performance, while Maybach defines luxury. Many domestic brands consciously or unconsciously reference Maybach when moving upscale.
Now, the challenge is: How should the new era of electric cars be defined?
Mercedes-Benz’s answer: the Mercedes-AMG GT XX Concept — a statement on ultimate electrification.
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A Record-Breaking EV at Nardò
At Italy’s legendary Nardò proving ground, the GT XX Concept achieved:
- Average speed: 300 km/h
- Average charging power: over 850 kW
- Unprecedented sustained output in EV performance
- Distance in 7 days: 40,075 km (Earth’s equator length)
- 24-hour EV record: 5,479 km
Still dusted from Nardò, the car made its China debut at the 2025 Mercedes-Benz XX Technology Innovation Day, before the Guangzhou Auto Show.
▲ From left to right: Drummond Jacoy, Oliver Thöne, Duan Jianjun
Mercedes-Benz made clear: this concept was not about winning high-speed or 0–100 acceleration contests — they’ve done that before, famously with the 1938 W 125 Rekordwagen at 432.7 km/h.
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Philosophy: From Sprint to Marathon
Oliver Thöne explained:
> “For Mercedes, what matters is not a single burst of speed, but maintaining high performance during long periods of continuous, high-intensity driving.”
He emphasized:
- In the combustion era, performance was about sustained output under load
- EVs require complete system redesigns to match or surpass old standards
- Collaborated with the F1 engineering team to develop electric drive, axial flux motors, charging systems, and battery tech from the ground up
- Technologies from the GT XX Concept will progressively enter mass production via the AMG.EA platform
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Endurance as the New Performance
Mercedes asks: can they be not just “Usain Bolt” but also Eliud Kipchoge, the marathon record holder?
Drummond Jacoy shared:
> “A true high-performance EV must deliver sustainably high output. In past AMG models like the GT 63 S E PERFORMANCE, customers felt that consistency — lap after lap. That’s what we aim to bring to EVs.”
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Core Technical Challenges & Solutions
- Lightweighting: High energy density via axial flux motors
- Layout Architecture: Rear-axle twin motors for torque vectoring and stability
- Thermal Management:
- Maintain stable temps during aggressive driving
- Preserve fast-charging capability under high heat
Key innovation: Cell-direct cooling — independent cooling per battery cell for stability and charging recovery.
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Brutal Specs & Intelligent Aerodynamics
- Drag coefficient: 0.198
- Three axial flux motors
- Peak power: >1,000 kW (1,360 hp)
- Top speed: >360 km/h
- Energy density: 300 Wh/kg (F1-derived NCMA cells)
- 5-minute charge: +400 km (WLTP)
New Aerodynamic Innovations
- Variable-blade wheel hubs:
- Closed at cruise for efficiency and stability
- Open under performance driving for brake cooling & rear downforce
- Plasma actuators:
- Microelectrodes on curved surfaces to control wake flow separation
- Reduce vortex drag & improve high-speed stability
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From Concept to 2026 Production
Some GT XX technologies will launch in 2026 on the AMG.EA all-electric platform — starting with a new high-performance four-door coupe.
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All-Electric CLA: Localized for China
Mercedes-Benz recently launched the electric CLA — tailored for China’s competitive NEV market.
Highlights:
- Shared tech from VISION EQXX:
- 800V electrical architecture
- Silicon carbide inverters
- Multi-source heat pump
- Industry-first two-speed electric transmission
- Energy consumption: 10.9 kWh/100 km (segment leader)
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VISION EQXX: Extreme Efficiency
In June 2022, VISION EQXX:
- Route: Stuttgart → Silverstone Circuit
- Consumption: 8.3 kWh/100 km
- Range: 1,202 km on a single charge
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EV Future: "Lasting" Over "Fast"
Mercedes now prioritizes endurance and range over sheer speed — a harder engineering challenge in the EV era.
Key Partnerships in China
- ByteDance + SpeechMatrix: Enhance Mercedes Virtual Assistant with Doubao AI LLM & fast voice interaction (<1 sec response)
- Momenta: Urban & highway navigation assist — “human-machine co-driving” synergy
These partnerships reflect cross-industry collaboration, much like AI-powered creative platforms in the content world.
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Cross-Domain Innovation: AI Content & EVs
In content creation, endurance means sustainable reach across platforms.
Tools like AiToEarn官网 — an open-source global AI content monetization platform — mirror Mercedes’ systems approach:
- Generate, publish, and monetize AI content across Douyin, Kwai, Bilibili, WeChat, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Pinterest, Rednote, X (Twitter)
- Track impact via AI模型排名
- Integrate AI tools into efficient workflows
Just as Mercedes-Benz integrates tech partners for world-class EVs, creators integrate platforms for lasting global impact.
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In short:
Mercedes-Benz — the brand that once defined the modern automobile — is now redefining the electric car: blending power, endurance, efficiency, and intelligence into a long-distance performance machine. The focus has shifted from “fast” to lasting and far — a design philosophy that both the automotive and AI-driven creative worlds can learn from.
