Skip to main content

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive: Mercedes-AMG’s most powerful car runs on batteries

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive front three-quarter motion viewMercedes-Benz unveiled a production version of its SLS AMG E-Cell electric sports car at the Paris Motor Show. Called the SLS AMG Electric Drive, it’s the most powerful car Mercedes-Benz AMG has ever built.

Replacing the SLS AMG’s 6.2-liter V8 are four electric motors, connected to an “axially-arranged” transmission and a 60-kWh lithium ion battery pack. The transmission, which Mercedes calls AMG Torque Dynamics, makes the electric SLS all-wheel drive and can power or brake wheels individually depending on conditions.

Combined, the four motors produce 740 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. That’s much more than the gasoline-powered 2013 SLS AMG GT, which produces 583 hp and 489 lb-ft. It also makes the SLS AMG Electric Drive more powerful than a Lamborghini Aventador.

With so much power on tap, it’s not surprising that Mercedes is claiming the SLS AMG Electric Drive as the world’s fastest production electric vehicle. The company says its gull-winged creation will do 0 to 62 mph (o-100 kph) in 3.9 seconds, and reach a limited top speed of 155 mph. That makes the electric SLS much slower than the SLS GT, despite the extra power. The SLS AMG GT will do 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 197 mph.

So far, the only serious competition for the SLS AMG Electric Drive is the Audi R8 e-tron. The Audi’s top speed is limited to 125 mph, although a test car’s was raised to 155 mph for a record-setting Nürburgring lap.

The liquid-cooled battery pack consists of 864 individual cells in 12 modules, and was developed by the same people who made the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) regenerative braking for Mercedes’ Formula 1 cars.

A full charge from a standard European household outlet takes 20 hours, but Mercedes will offer a 22 kW quick charger that cuts charge time down to three hours. The SLS AMG Electric Drive has a 155-mile range, although it probably won’t get that far if driven enthusiastically.Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive rear three-quarter view

If the car does run out of juice on the highway, that bright blue paint (an Electric Drive exclusive) should alert passers by to the driver’s plight. Besides the paint, there is little to distinguish the Electric Drive from a regular SLS AMG coupe. The electric SLS get a carbon fiber front splitter, a rear diffuser, and a grille with “bionic honeycomb-shaped” vents.

However, under the skin, there are more significant modifications. The body is a carbon fiber monocoque bonded to the stock SLS’ aluminum chassis. To accommodate the electric drivetrain, the regular SLS’ double-wishbone suspension was replaced with a multi-link setup.

The AMG engineers also needed to recreate an important aspect of the V8 SLS: sound. Electric motors are very quiet, and that is a problem for both pedestrians (who won’t hear it coming) and drivers (who will miss out on the aural experience). AMG designed different sounds for startup, wide-open throttle, and cruising, which play through the car’s speakers.

The SLS AMG Electric Drive goes on sale in Europe next year for roughly $536,000, or more than 2.5 times the cost of a regular SLS. Green speed is possible, but it doesn’t come cheap.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
The Apple Car was reportedly dubbed ‘the Bread Loaf’
A man checks his phone in an Apple retail store in Grand Central Terminal.

A 2020 prototype of the so-called "Apple Car" was dubbed "the Bread Loaf" for its looks, according to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday.

In a deep dive into the costly project, which Apple canceled last month, the report described the vehicle as “a white minivan with rounded sides, an all-glass roof, sliding doors, and whitewall tires [that] was designed to comfortably seat four people and inspired by the classic flower-power Volkswagen microbus.”

Read more
The Rivian R2 SUV is up for preorder for only $45,000
Rivian R2

You can now get a Rivian without spending more than $70,000. After months of rumors and leaks, Rivian has finally taken the wraps off of the Rivian R2, its newest SUV, and the first to be built on the new Rivian R2 platform. The R2 is built to be Rivian's "Model 3 moment," or its attempt to build a car that's more accessible to the general public and thus could be sold at a much higher volume than the R1S or R1T ever were.

The R2 certainly cuts some corners to achieve the lower price point, but it actually still has a lot going for it -- especially as an electric SUV in this price range. It goes up against the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mustang Mach-E, and Kia EV6, but it's much more of an SUV than a crossover-sized car and should appeal to those who want something larger and with Rivian's design sensibility.

Read more
The R3 is Rivian’s surprise electric crossover
Rivian R3

Rivian didn't just announce the R2 platform at its latest launch event -- in a surprise twist, it also announced the R3 crossover. The R3 is Rivian's smallest car yet, offering a size much closer to the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 than the SUVs that came before it.

Of course, not only is the Rivian R3 smaller, but presumably, it's also cheaper. Rivian didn't reveal actual pricing for the car, but it did say that it would be less than the R2's $45,000 price. Also, it may be some time before we start seeing the R3 on the road -- the car will follow the R2, which isn't set to be available until the first half of 2026.

Read more