Gullwing doors may have helped the De Lorean DMC-12 land a starring role in the Back to the Future series, but even the people who dreamed up the movie car’s Mr. Fusion and flux capacitor saw gas as the fuel of 2015.

Mercedes is set to one-up Universal Studios. The company has now confirmed what was being widely assumed a week ago, namely that it will sell an electric version of its upcoming gullwing-equipped SLS supercar. The electric car, which will ride on an unmodified version off the SLS’s aluminum monocoque, will boast four electric motors totaling 526 hp and 649 lb-ft of torque—37 fewer hp than the gas car but 170 more lb-ft. With transaxles fore and aft sending power to all four wheels, Mercedes is claiming a 0–62-mph time of “around four seconds” and a top speed in excess of 125 mph.

The electric motors are mounted just inboard of the suspension components, an arrangement Mercedes says is superior to vehicles utilizing hub-mounted motors because it reduces unsprung weight. The motors draw their energy from a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery split into three 108-cell, 16-kWh modules—one living in what would be the gas-powered car’s engine bay, one in the center tunnel, and one behind the seats—for a total of 48 kWh. For comparison, the Chevy Volt has only one 16-kWh battery pack.

The batteries, referred to by Mercedes as a “pilot phase,” are a product of Deutsche Accumotive GmbH and Co. KG, a tongue-twisting joint venture between Daimler AG and Evonik Industries AG, a global chemical manufacturer with fingers in the automotive and pharmaceutical pies, among others. Expect a range of 110 miles before an eight-hour recharge is necessary. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2013, two years before Marty McFly will arrive from 1985.

Gullwing doors may have helped the De Lorean DMC-12 land a starring role in the Back to the Future series, but even the people who dreamed up the movie car’s Mr. Fusion and flux capacitor saw gas as the fuel of 2015.

Mercedes is set to one up Universal Studios. The company has now confirmed what was being widely assumed a week ago, namely that it will sell an electric version of its upcoming gullwing-equipped SLS supercar The electric car, which will ride on an unmodified version off the SLS’s aluminum monocoque, will boast four electric motors totaling 526 hp and 649 lb-ft of torque—37 fewer hp than the gas car but 170 more lb-ft. With transaxles fore and aft sending power to all four wheels, Mercedes is claiming a 0–62-mph time of “around four seconds” and a top speed in excess of 125 mph.

The electric motors are mounted just inboard of the suspension components, an arrangement Mercedes says is superior to vehicles utilizing hub-mounted motors because it reduces unsprung weight. The motors draw their energy from a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery split into three 108-cell, 16-kWh modules—one living in what would be the gas-powered car’s engine bay, one in the center tunnel, and one behind the seats—for a total of 48 kWh. For comparison, the Chevy Volt has only on 16-kWh battery pack.

The batteries, referred to by Mercedes as a “pilot phase,” are a product of Deutsche Accumotive GmbH and Co. KG, a tongue-twisting joint venture between Daimler AG and Evonik Industries AG, a global chemical manufacturer with fingers in the automotive and pharmaceutical pies, among others. Expect a range of 110 miles before an eight-hour recharge is necessary. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2013, two years before Marty McFly will arrive from 1985.

Related posts:

1. Mercedes to Produce All-Electric SLS AMG Supercar
2. 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster – Spied
3. 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG – First Drive Review
4. 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing – Official Info
5. 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing – Official Photos and Info

Tags: Coupe, eDrive, Electric, Electric Vehicle, German, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Sports/GT, Supercar |

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