This year marks the 50th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz’s high-performance AMG division, and the company decided to celebrate by offering a new Anniversary Edition GT Coupe and letting slip that it will build electric vehicles in the future.
While Mercedes-Benz formerly provided an extremely limited-production SLS AMG Electric Drive in 2014, that EV’s restricted functionality and stratospheric price tag left the impression that the technology wasn’t yet ready. The juiced SLS turned out to be more of an experiment than anything but, now that the experiment is over, it sounds like they’ll be taking a serious stab at electrified AMGs.
Ola Källenius, Mercedes’ research and development head, told Car and Driver that AMG genuinely plans to embrace both hybrid and pure EV models in the future — possibly even adapting vehicles from Daimler’s imminent EQ electric mobility arm.
“I don’t think they are opposite extremes,” he said. “AMG has always been about driving performance and offering customers a superior experience, but at the same time—and I think this is the sweet spot of AMG—they are cars you can really drive every day as well. Electrification will find its way into AMG, and for me it’s not impossible that you’ll have a fully electric version or an AMG variant of an EQ.”
Mercedes is already keen to implement its new 48-volt hybrid system into mainstream cars, and AMG is placing a hybridized 1.6-liter Formula One engine into its maniacal-sounding “Project One” hypercar. It also recently confirmed that vehicle would surpass 1,000 horsepower, so it’s not likely to be something you’ll see in every parking garage — if ever.
While we don’t have even a loose timeframe of when Mercedes-AMG’s might launch its first large-volume EV, Benz has assured us that it is an unavoidable part of automotive progress. “It’s just a matter of time before we go more and more electric,” Källenius said.
Meanwhile, the Project One should arrive at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
[Image: Mercedes-Benz]
My brain processed the headline as, “AMC Says It Will Gradually Become ‘More and More Electric,\'” and I thought to myself, “wait, FCA is bring the AMC brand back as a niche electric vehicle player? How did I miss that!”
Oh wait, AMG…never mind.
And I read it as more “eclectic”. And was actually pleased till I realized I misread it.
So will Hanz be responsible for hand winding and assembling the electric motors?
That would be Franz.
“We’re here to… (clap) juice you up!”
I know there are car bras; are there car condoms?
The b&b have either nothing to say, or dumb quips, in response to the performance arm of a respected performance/luxury car brand heading to hybrids and ev’s.
“Best and brightest” should not be confused with a bunch of uninformed cranks stuck in the past.
They are more than just uniformed cranks, they are also rabid luddites.
“the performance arm of a respected performance/luxury car brand”
Heh… I think *leg* is more anatomically correct, third leg.
NEOPRENE – the new nomex.
There was also an announcement from Samsung SDI about another incremental improvement in battery technology:
http://insideevs.com/samsung-sdi-announced-next-generation-battery-for-600-km-373-mi-bevs-rechargeable-in-20-minutes/
Well, if there is anyone to implement an EV poorly, and make it far more complicated than it needs to be (as well as increasing unreliability) it would be Mercedes-Benz and AMG!
I wonder: Does this affect the business models of Kleemann and others who have made their livelihood out-AMGing the AMG tuning technology and design?
BTW: The paint job on that car is awesome – had to cost 10,000 bucks.
Sure that’s not just the Love Lube?
Heh – a really sexy paint job…