With a price-tag of $500,000, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive had better be good – and it is. How good? 552kW/1000Nm good to be precise!
With four electric motors, the electric AMG SLS is the world’s fastest electrically-powered production vehicle, requiring just 3.9 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100km/h.
The gullwing coupe is the result of collaboration between the AMG road car division in Germany and the British-based F1 team with their background in KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) technology.
Unlike some other electric vehicles, the four motors in the electric AMG SLS are not wheel hub motors, but rather drive the four wheels individually via an axially-arranged transmission. Each motor has a top speed of 13,000rpm, and of course, like all electric motors, maximum torque is available instantly.
The Mercedes-Benz SLS Electric Drive uses and 864-cell lithium-ion battery with a load potential of 600kW and maximum voltage of 400V.
Drive is to all four wheels via the newly-developed AMG Torque Dynamics system with three driving modes (‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport+’). And removal of the V8 petrol engine used in conventional SLS AMG coupes allowed a re-design of the front suspension which for the electric model is a multi-link design with horizontally-mounted pushrod damper struts (a design straight from Formula 1). Brakes are AMG ceramic.
And here’s another innovation – for the electric SLS, AMG has developed and tested a unique interior sound, transmitted via the 11 audio speakers. The sound commences with a typical ‘start-up’ noise as soon as you hit the starter button.
The Mercedes-Benz SLS Electric Drive uses and 864-cell lithium-ion battery with a load potential of 600kW and maximum voltage of 400V.
Drive is to all four wheels via the newly-developed AMG Torque Dynamics system with three driving modes (‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport+’). And removal of the V8 petrol engine used in conventional SLS AMG coupes allowed a re-design of the front suspension which for the electric model is a multi-link design with horizontally-mounted pushrod damper struts (a design straight from Formula 1). Brakes are AMG ceramic.
And here’s another innovation – for the electric SLS, AMG has developed and tested a unique interior sound, transmitted via the 11 audio speakers. The sound commences with a typical ‘start-up’ noise as soon as you hit the starter button.
