David Coulthard Test Drives Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Sports Car - VIDEO FEATURE

KRISTIANSUND, Norway - July 1, 2010: The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with its powerful 6.3 liter engine and its classic Gullwing doors has created the ultimate excitement for car enthusiasts. Now this super sports car goes green. Formula One legend David Coulthard was on hand for a test-drive of the first all electric Mercedes-Benz super sports car in Norway.

Mercedes-Benz is showing off an electric version of the iconic SLS to prove that the superb handling and driving experience of a super sports car like the SLS AMG can also be achieved with an electric powertrain. Unlike other electric cars which are powered by one electric motor at the rear axle, the SLS AMG E-Cell has four electric motors placed near the wheels. However, the motors are not in the wheel hubs, as found in many electric car concepts because in-hub electric motors tend to increase the weight of the wheels affecting the handling and driving dynamics. With the motors placed near the wheels, the batteries are housed under the hood and in the center of the car thus creating optimal lower center gravity - key to the amazing handling of the SLS AMG E-Cell.

David Coulthard drove the all new electric SLS and this is a first hand report of his experience on the roads of Norway.

Click PLAY to watch the edited version of the test drive

New swing-wing model with purely electric high-tech drive system
Mercedes-AMG is paving the way ahead: with the new SLS AMG with electric drive, the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars is developing an exciting super sports car with zero-emission high-tech drive. This model sees Mercedes-Benz and AMG displaying their expertise in the development of alternative drive solutions for high-performance super sports cars, delivering further proof of their pioneering status in this market segment.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with electric drive transforms the vision of powerful and locally emission-free super sports cars into reality thanks to an innovative drive system: powerful forwards thrust is provided by four electric motors with a combined peak output of 392 kW and a maximum torque of 880 Nm. The four electric motors are positioned near the wheels, substantially reducing the unsprung masses compared to wheel-hub motors. One transmission per axle transmits the power. This intelligent all-wheel-drive system allows dynamically optimised power transmission without any losses by means of Torque Vectoring – in other words the specifically targeted acceleration of individual wheels. In its first pilot phase, the SLS AMG with electric drive incorporates a liquid-cooled high-voltage lithium-ion battery of modular design with an energy content of 48 kWh and a capacity of 40 Ah. The 400-volt battery is charged by means of targeted recuperation during braking whilst the car is being driven.

Click PLAY to watch the complete un-edited version of the test drive video