The dramatically orange vehicle photos accompanying this article represent the future of Mercedes-Benz’s performance EVs. Mercedes-AMG introduces the Concept AMG GT XX four-door sports car as the “first series-production model” of Mercedes’s comprehensive AMG.EA high-performance architecture.
Mercedes-AMG did not reveal a price or production date, but didn’t hold back on performance numbers. The Concept AMG GT XX has a combined 1,341 horsepower from three axial flux electric motors, 223 mph top speed, and the capability of charging 248 miles of range in about five minutes.
The tech behind the performance numbers
The AMG.EA architecture employs electric motors, drivetrains, batteries, battery management, and charging technologies developed in-house by Mercedes divisions. Variously described as “pioneering,” “revolutionary,” and “groundbreaking,” the performance bits aren’t tweaks, modifications, or evolutionary steps, but scratch-built technologies explicitly conceived to power a new era of powerful motor vehicles.
Mercedes says three axial flux motors, one for the front wheels and two in the rear, can run at peak output levels continuously and repeatedly, thanks to three times the power density of conventional radial flux motors and integrated liquid cooling in the lithium-ion power cells. Torque and power can be sustained at higher levels and more frequently than earlier electric powertrains.
Three factors contribute to the Concept AMG GT XX’s battery output: cell design, direct cell cooling, and high voltage. The Concept’s cylindrical cells are tall and slim, which aids rapid heat dissipation. The battery’s 800 volts produce tremendous continuous power and support shorter charging times. Greater battery longevity is another benefit of the battery cooling technology and high voltage rate.
Mercedes is working with Alpitronic, a European charging station company, to develop charging stations that support the voltage and charging rates of the Concept AMG GT XX.
The role of aerodynamics in body design is increasingly important with the high speeds of the Concept AMG GT XX. Mercedes says, for example, that about 83% of the drive energy is needed to overcome drag at 186 mph. With the promise of the very high performance potential of the AMG.EA architecture, aerodynamic design will play an ever-larger role.
