Having confirmed the production of the SLS AMG E-CELL at last year’s Detroit Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz is now building up anticipation by releasing some new photos and technical details on its pure-electric supercar.
The company also revealed that the SLS AMG E-CELL will be available on the market in 2013, albeit in a limited production run.
The vehicle’s drivetrain, which has been in development since 2010, comprises four synchronous electric motors positioned near the wheels that produce a combined output of 392kW or 526hp and a peak torque of 880Nm (649 lb-ft).
Mercedes says that compared with in wheel-hub motors, the unsprung masses are “substantially reduced” this way. One transmission per axle transmits the power while the setup allows for permanent all-wheel drive.
In addition, there’s a permanently active “torque vectoring” system that allows for the individual control of the electric motors, something that helps improve the car’s cornering and traction, while minimizing ESP intervention and the tendency to oversteer or understeer.
Because the SLS AMG E-CELL is all-wheel drive, Mercedes AMG engineers replaced the the series production model’s double wishbone front axle with an independent multi-link suspension with pushrod damper struts.
The car also gets high-performance ceramic composite brakes with discs that measure 402 x 39 mm at the front and 360 x 32 mm at the rear, while the ABS and ESP systems have been re-calibrated.
The carbon-fibre transmission tunnel serves as the monocoque housing for the SLS AMG E-CELL’s liquid-cooled 400V lithium-ion battery and is structurally integrated into the aluminium body shell. As with Formula 1 racercars, the battery is charged through targeted recuperation during braking.
Mercedes uses a high-performance electronic control system to convert the direct current from the high-voltage battery into three-phase alternating current. The system makes use of two low-temperature cooling circuits to ensure that the electric motors and the electronics are maintained at an even operating temperature.
As for performance, Mercedes says the SLS AMG E-CELL can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in 4 seconds compared to the 3.8 seconds needed by the regular V8-powered SLS AMG.
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