The Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive is the most powerful, eco-friendly production car in the world. This beast is not powered by any of the traditional V12s or V8s from the Merc range, but by four electric motors that have a mind numbing output of 740bhp and over 1000Nm of torque.
Though the SLS Electric Drive looks similar to the standard model, underneath it is a completely different machine. The four compact permanent-magnet synchronous electric motors weigh 45 kg each and achieve a maximum individual speed of 13,000 rpm. They have been developed in-house through a cooperation between Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains – with some assistance from the blokes who develop their Formula 1 KERS hybrid concepts.
The standard SLS AMG has power rating of 583bhp and 650Nm – far lesser than the electric model; but it is faster as it weighs 400kgs lesser than the eco-friendly counterpart, which has 548kg lithium-ion battery. This does not mean that the Electric Drive is a slouch – it can go from naught to 100kph in 3.9 seconds with an electronically restricted top-speed of 250kph.
The car has a range of 250kms and can be charged in just three hours flat, making it even more easy to use. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive will be launched in Europe somewhere in 2013 to join the standard model with a price tag of over Rs 3 crore. We doubt that this model will be made available here anytime soon – mainly due to unavailability of infrastructure to charge electric vehicles.
