SLS AMG E-Cell: A Closer Look

Do you really need to develop a whole new platform to come up with the supercar that we'll be driving a few years from now? The Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell is the answer to exactly that question and that's what not only sets it apart from anything else that is available yet, but also really marks the beginning in a new philosophy at AMG. After all, the SLS AMG E-Cell is the same as the 6.3 litre V8 engined SLS in almost every respect. Except that it does away with that monster engine and trades off to a very intelligent electric drive! Intelligent, because if you look at it, the E-Cell is no different than the petrol-powered SLS structurally. Just a few  bits and pieces added on here and there make the E-Cell ready to chuck the conventional engine out and house the four electric motors, one powering each wheel.

The motors put out a cumulative 392 kW of power and a whopping 880 Nm of torque on paper. On the road, it's even better - 4 seconds flat to get to 100 km/h from a standstill. To give those figures even more effect, take just one glance at what the 6.3 litre V8 SLS AMG is doing - 3.8 seconds to 100 km/h powered by 571 horses (approx. 420 kW).

Probably the biggest change one can see under the skin of the SLS AMG besides the missing petrol engine is the new front axle. The Gullwing's double wishbone setup has had to make way for the additional drive shafts on the front. This means the E-Cell now has an independent multilink suspension with horizontal dampers operated by separate pushrods and transfer levers. But the beauty of the E-Cell isn't in its mechanical components-it's in the stuff that gives the car its name-a liquid-cooled high-voltage lithium-ion battery with an energy content of 48 kWh and a capacity of 40 Ah.

The battery consists of 324 lithium-ion polymer cells. The individual battery modules are connected in an intelligent parallel circuit that also helps maximize the safety, reliability and service life of the battery. Two low-temperature cooling circuits ensure that the four electric motors and the power electronics are maintained at an even operating temperature. A separate low-temperature circuit is responsible for cooling the high-voltage lithium-ion battery.

So that's all great-lots of convenience, superb performance, futuristic experiences and all that without hurting your conscience-GreenPeace stays happy too. So middle ground has finally been achieved for the supercar-those who can afford them will still be able to travel at break-neck speeds and hit the race tracks on the weekend. But there's one element that will be deeply missed as the electric motor takes over the internal combustion engine-whatever will happen to that glorious wail of a V8? No electric whine can ever replace that. Never!

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