Mercedes-AMG is poised to begin advanced development of its first bespoke electric performance sedan, one that will make its global debut in 2025, and feature new drivetrain technology that is likely to make it the firm’s most powerful road car yet.
- AMG EV sedan will take on the Taycan, e-tron GT and Lucid Air
- Will be a grounds-up performance EV sedan
- Will also get AWD dual-motor setup
Mercedes-AMG EV performance sedan: platform, powertrain
Serving as an electric alternative to the snarling, V8-engined GT 63 4-Door Coupe, AMG’s first bespoke electric car will be tasked with taking on highly acclaimed and big-selling EV sports sedans, such as the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT and Lucid Air.
AMG has already turned its hand to the Mercedes EQE and EQS duo to create warmed-up, 53-badged sports sedans with huge power outputs, but this new model will be designed from the ground up as a performance car. As such, it is expected to place as much emphasis on dynamic performance and engagement as it does straight-line speed.
It will be the first car to use a bespoke performance-oriented EV architecture known as AMG.EA. This is understood to have been designed and engineered with an eye on facilitating the low-slung, sleek silhouettes that currently define AMG’s combustion sports cars. Central to establishing this platform as a dedicated sports car architecture will be the deployment of highly advanced electric motor technology from British firm Yasa, acquired by Mercedes in 2021.
The Oxfordshire outfit’s disc-shaped axial-flux units, to be built at scale by Mercedes in Berlin, Germany, tout much higher power- and torque-density figures than conventional, sausage-shaped radial-flux motors. As a result, they can weigh less, take up much less space and operate more efficiently. AMG has yet to give any indication of the precise implications of this technology for its upcoming production cars, but Yasa boss Tim Woolmer confirmed to our sister publication Autocar UK that a motor bound for one of the German firm’s production cars weighs just 24kg, yet produces 800Nm of torque and 485hp of power in its own right.
If used in tandem as part of a twin-motor system, it seems likely that the axial devices will result in a dramatic power boost over even the 760hp AMG EQS 53 4Matic, potentially edging towards the 1000hp and 1350Nm marks.
Notably, a recent concept from Mercedes – the retro, wedge-shaped One-Eleven – houses both of its electric motors on the rear axle, suggesting four-wheel drive is not a given for AMG’s next-generation sports cars.
Vision 2025 concept precursor to AMG performance sedan
Prototypes for the electric GT 63 replacement are expected to start hitting the road in the coming months as the EV gears up for a market launch in 2025. Our best look so far comes courtesy of the rakish, motorsport-themed Vision 2025 concept that AMG revealed last year, which is understood to be a close preview of the model’s shape, size and positioning. Measuring 5,100mm long and with a wheelbase of 3,000mm, the concept is well placed to succeed the similarly sized GT 63.
Its proportions hint at a focus on interior space while maintaining handling and aerodynamic performance – with its wheels pushed into the corners and its silhouette defined by various wind-cheating elements, including active aero components.
The upcoming performance sedan will use a new type of slimline, energy-dense battery design bespoke to AMG EVs. Mercedes-Benz has confirmed it will use a new silicon anode material from US firm Sila. This is said to offer a 40 percent improvement in energy density over existing graphite anodes and thus substantially boost range – with the added benefit of freeing up room in the interior.
New-era AMG cars will follow the lead of their Benz-badged counterparts in adopting a bold cabin design centred on a full-width high-definition screen, as alluded to by the Concept One-Eleven. The 2025 sedan is described as a four-seater, but no doubt larger successors will make space for a third seat in the rear.
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