Mercedes-Benz plans electric version of SLS supercar

The zero-emission supercar draws heavily on the production version of the SLS which makes its world premiere in Frankfurt on September 15.

"With the electric drive SLS AMG we wanted to redefine the super sports car. For Mercedes-Benz, it is not just about responsibility, it is also about excitement and classic AMG performance,"

said Frank Bernthaler, Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Middle East & Levant.

The electric drive SLS will have the same lightweight aluminium body as the production version of the SLS, complete with its signature gullwing doors.

The electric drive SLS will have an electric motor near each wheel substantially reducing the unsprung masses compared to wheel-hub motors. One transmission per axle transmits the power.

This effectively turns the car into an all-wheel drive vehicle allowing dynamically optimised power transmission without any power loss by means of torque vectoring.

In its pilot phase, the electric drive SLS AMG incorporates a liquid-cooled high voltage lithium-ion battery with an energy content of 48kWh. The 400-volt battery is recharged by means of targeted recuperation during braking.

The 6.3 litre V8 engined SLS will produce 571hp and only 479 ft lb of torque, while the electric drive car, by comparison, has 532hp and a sizeable 649ft lb of torque giving it a planned under four-second 0-100 k/ph figure, similar to that of the petrol-engined SLS.

The battery pack will be mounted in front of the firewall, in the centre tunnel and in the space behind the seats normally taken up by the fuel tank.