Well, it was just a matter of time
While Mercedes-Benz already has electrified products (Hybrids and BEVs) in its portfolio, the AMG division is still exclusively powered by ICE, which is fine with you and me but the industry is in the transition phase and everyone needs to come on board. Of course, there’s the AMG One with F1-derived hybrid powertrain, but Mercedes is building only 275 units. What about the rest of the mortals? Well, worry not as the AMG division has revealed the plans.
For hybrid performance offerings (in the future), Mercedes-AMG has revealed the E-Performance drivetrain, which as depicted in the infographics above, can be combined with either a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo or a 4.0L V8 biturbo petrol engines. A permanently excited synchronous electric motor and a high-performance battery pack sits on the rear axle, offering up to (depending on the model) 150 kW (204 metric hp) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) torque. There’ll, of course, be 4Matic+ AWD system to transfer the drive power to the front wheels if needed.
The electric motor is integrated with a 2-speed transmission and an electronically controlled rear-axle differential lock, forming a compact Electric Drive Unit (EDU). As for the system output, with a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine, the estimate is over 480 kW (653 metric hp) and with a 4.0L V8 biturbo, the estimate is over 600 kW (816 metric hp). The range-topping model can offer over 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of system torque.
We need to talk about the battery pack as well. It’s a 400-volt battery pack, but it boasts “direct cooling” of the cells. The 560 cells are cooled individually, meaning, they’re permanently surrounded by a coolant. Apparently, the AMG specialists had to develop new cooling modules that are only millimetres thin.
Around 14 litres of coolant circulate from top to bottom through the entire battery past each cell with the help of a specially developed high-performance electric pump, also flowing through an oil/water heat exchanger attached directly to the battery. This conducts the heat into one of the vehicle’s two low-temperature (LT) circuits and from there on to the LT radiator at the front of the car, which finally releases the heat into the ambient air.
The battery pack with 6.1 kWh capacity offers 70 kW continuous power and 150 kW peak power for 10 seconds. It weighs 89 kg (196 lbs) and therefore achieves a power density of 1.7 kW/kg.
There’ll also be battery-electric derivatives too, obviously. The models will be based on a new, exclusive Mercedes-EQ architecture, and will be offered as BEV alternatives to 43 and 53 series AMG models initially. An all-electric AMG E-Class might make its debut later this year.
With our new drive strategy, we are transporting our hallmark DNA into an electrified future. Our performance hybrids, developed entirely in Affalterbach, will even surpass the driving dynamics of our current models and thus absolutely do justice to our new technology label E Performance. With the all-electric derivatives based on the Mercedes-EQ models, we as Mercedes-AMG are also continuing to take off with the electrification of the portfolio. We are thus opening ourselves up to new target groups who can experience Mercedes-AMG as the Performance Luxury brand of the 21st century. – Philipp Schiemer, Chairman of the Board of Management, Mercedes-AMG
The layout with the combustion engine at the front and an Electric Drive Unit on the rear axle offers numerous advantages. The resulting optimized weight distribution, the best possible utilization of torque and the very immediate power output promise driving dynamics at the highest level. Added to this is the High Performance Battery we developed, which boasts twice the power density of conventional drive batteries and, like many other components, is inspired by technology from Formula 1. – Jochen Hermann, Chief Technical Officer, Mercedes-AMG
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
Note: Comments that are unrelated to the post above get automatically filtered into the trash bin.
