Mercedes electric car travels 1,000 km on a single charge Business

Rival electric cars often do less than their advertised maximum range as hills, braking, heating and air conditioning can all drain the battery.

In the UK, the car industry has lobbied the government to speed up the rollout of fast chargers.

They would make electric cars a more attractive option for drivers who want to take trips other than commuting and running to school and to attract owners without a car or a garage where they can charge their vehicles.

Mercedes is following in the footsteps of Chinese automaker GAC Group’s Axion LX Plus SUV, which it says will be able to travel 626 miles and US start-up Lucid Air 500 miles, as automakers offer options to solve on their own the riddle.

The high cost of battery parts will likely make faster chargers the choice of most buyers.

The average electric car already costs around £10,000 more than a petrol or diesel equivalent, mainly due to the cost of batteries. High capacities will be reserved for the luxury part of the market.

Separately, the German government has said it may end subsidies for hybrid cars from next year to focus its efforts on green energy and pure electric cars.

The government bonus for electric car buyers will rise from €6,000 to €4,000 next year and €3,000 in 2024. It plans to end subsidies for electric cars by 2025.

The Greens said ending hybrid subsidies would free up funds to develop solar, wind and hydrogen power.