Mercedes-Benz Confirms 526 HP Fully Electric Gullwing
It’s official. Last week, German automaker Mercedes-Benz confirmed its intentions to build a fully electric version of the SLS AMG Supercar.
The AWD car will have separate transmissions for both axles and electric motors at each wheel. With a combined power output of 392 Kw–which packs 649 lb-ft of torque–the car will get a jaw-dropping 526 horsepower.
This will push the zero-emission car from 0 to 62 MPH in just 4 seconds! All of this is available the moment the motors turn. Are you drooling yet? I am.
The Tesla is great, sure. It’s all hot and electric. But the Gullwing is a classic; it’s iconic. For me, this defines the stronghold electric vehicles are bound to have on American culture.
The original Mercedes 300 SL “Gullwing”
Electronic controllers will assure dynamically optimized power transmission by means of torque vectoring. That means the wheel with the most traction gets the most juice.
The motors will be fueled by a 400-volt liquid cooled, high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack delivering 40 Ah of current. The packs will run down the center of the chassis. They can be charged via an electrical outlet and also through regenerative braking.
Since an electric version of the car was considered during its design, no modifications will be needed to the car’s lightweight aluminum frame. In fact, the electrical version is expected to perform on par with the petro-based SLS. Well, except it will be quieter than its V-8 sibling.
“With the SLS AMG with electric drive, we wanted to redefine the super sports car. For us, it is not just about responsibility. We attach just as much importance to excitement and classic AMG performance,” says Volker Mornhinweg, Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes.
There was no mention of where Mercedes will be picking up these fancy EV parts but I am sure parent corporation Daimler will have some say in it. Daimler owns a big chunk of Tesla Motors. Also undisclosed is the vehicles’ range on a single charge.
Source: Wired’s Autopia
I still like the Delorean
[...] do 0-62 in 4 seconds. And, because it’s all electric, it has full power instantly from a standing stop. Very few [...]
John - your error is in multiplying by 40 (for the Ah) twice.
A 400V 40Ah pack can supply 400V at 1A for 40 hours, or 400V at 40A for 1 hour (ignoring Peukert’s exponent for now). Since, at 392000 watts, it is drawing 392000W/400V=980A, the batteries will last only a few minutes at full power.
There is a Peukert calculator at http://www.csgnetwork.com/batterylifecalc.html, and I found an example Peukert exponent for Lithium Ion batteries here: http://www.39pw.us/car/batteryTable.html
You may find more accurate Peukert exponent data elsewhere - that’s merely the first usable Google hit (granted, we are venturing into the arcane). Since it claims 1.036 (Lithium Ions are among the best here), let’s be even more optimistic and round it down to 1.03.
Plugging in the numbers (40 amp hours, 980 amp discharge rate, 1.03 Peukert exponent) we get a full discharge time of 0.033 hours, which is 118 seconds - not quite two minutes.
With those “rubber band” tires, they had better have one extremely good active suspension system.
When I win the lottery I’m getting me one! First one looks like the batmobile– that’s definitely for me.
Not better batteries, not lighter body, not aerodynamically new, an “interim” vehicle, a cross-over if you like, to a better day for vehicular transportation - a necessary evil, to get to the mass production of carbon fiber and advanced polymer composite bodied two seater in tandem-style plug-in miracle commuters to solve America’s suburbanite’s personal transportation problems and make the McMansions already built a viable proposition in an era of contracting wages and poor job stability. Now that Timmy Geithner has dropped the ball in his Beijing disgrace, and China has turned down Obama’s overtures for huge Trillion dollar loans, to support the current “American Dream”, flat, the “American Dream” is in peril. We must modify something, accept some small changes at first, before the avalanche of Asian manufacturing prowess and general superiority totally engulfs us, and sacrificing the automobile, in small steps at first, a high powered electric “Loss Leader” to turn Americans heads, then the new eco-box electrics from China in a classic American “Bait and Switch” play and voila! It is done!
It defines what EVs will look like in terms of performance and looks. We are excited Mercedes finally steps into the array with such a stunner. It is a classic before it is out and surely will be a collectible.
The Electricnick.com team.
wow wow …
I would love to have one of these! thanks for sharing. SU’d