Mercedes-Benz's performance division, AMG, is reportedly working on development of an all-electric supercar. The model will launch before the end of the current decade, according to Autocar.
The media outlet states that the supercar will be inspired by the Vision One-Eleven concept presented last year. That model was built as a tribute to the C111 series of technology demonstrators launched in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s.
The concept also served as a showcase for the axial-flow motors developed by YASA, a firm specialized in high-performance electric motors that was acquired by Mercedes in 2021. Axial-flow motors are lighter and smaller than conventional radial-flow motors of the same power, but they are more difficult to manufacture, making them much less cost-effective.
Mercedes plans to build axial-flow engines at a plant in Berlin, the first application probably being a sleek sedan based on AMG's new AMG.EA electric platform, scheduled for launch within the next 12 months. Prototypes of the model, which will be AMG's first electric vehicle, have been seen testing on several occasions.
One of YASA's axial-flow motors generates 489 hp, while weighing just 53 lb. Mercedes is said to be studying several configurations, including three and four motors.
The crux for any performance model is weight, which must be kept to a minimum. With lightweight units, anything is possible.
The planned supercar will likely also use the AMG.EA platform and, according to Autocar, it will be more performance-oriented than the future electric sedan, as well as AMG's One prototype.
That prototype holds the lap record for a production car at the Nürburgring, with a time of 6:35.183, set in 2022.
Although Mercedes recently announced a breakthrough in the development of lightweight, energy-dense solid-state batteries, Autocar reports that the planned supercar will stick to liquid-type lithium-ion cells.
AMG has extensive experience in the field of electric power. It first tested the waters in 2014 with the SLS AMG Electric Drive. At the time, it was the fastest and most powerful electric vehicle on the market, delivering 740 hp. Since then, AMG has gained further experience in its F1 program, particularly in the areas of energy discharge and recovery.
In short, Mercedes-AMG is quietly paving the way for an all-electric future in performance.