A sportscar and electric-powered? Ludicrous! That might have been the instantaneous reaction a couple of years years ago. Not now, though, for it is rapidly evolving into a reality thanks to a number of inter-connected and inter-dependent factors. As the world struggles to cope with dwindling oil resources, the connoisseurs of fast cars are beginning to feel the guilt while cruising down Sunset Boulevard (replace it with your local elite street here) in their V8-powered missiles. Added to that is the realisation that one doesn't always need a supercar to drop the kids to school or fetch the mom from the airport. And that's where cars like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell come into the picture.
Looks to drool over
Looks are an important USP in supercars and the E-Cell does not let you down on this count. The highly attractive SLS AMG body-shell with its unmistakable gullwing doors has now been rendered even more visible owing to the 'AMG Lumilectric Mango' colour scheme. With a colour scheme like that, the E-Cell wouldn't need any V8-induced roar to call attention to itself!
It's both the beauty and the beast...
Let's first get the technicals out of the way. The E-Cell is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack (supplied by Deutsche Accumotive GmbH & Co. KG ) that provides motive power to four electric motors mounted on each of the E-Cell's wheels. In this guise, the E-Cell churns out 533 PS of peak power and a maximum torque of 880 Nm. To put things into perspective, the 6.2-litre, V8-powered SLS AMG puts out 571 PS and 650 Nm. Even after taking into account the increase in weight (because of the battery pack), these figures put the E-Cell bang into supercar territory with a 0-100 km/h timing of four seconds. Its top speed remains unknown as of now.
Sci-fi interiors
The transformation from petrol to an electric super sports car also called for some specific changes in the interior. The newly designed centre console is now dominated by a 25-cm touchscreen, which allows easy access to all the audio, climate and navigation functions, and also provides information on the flow of power to the four electric motors. The instrument console has been tweaked to resemble something straight out of the sets of 'Tron: Legacy' and provides information about vehicle speed, battery charge status and estimated range.
No compromise in performance!
AMG has also developed special 10-spoke, lightweight alloys for the E-Cell, which are fitted with 265/35 R19 tyres at the front and 295/30 R20 at the rear. As you might have guessed, the fitment of electric motors to the wheels also necessitated rework of the car's suspension. In place of the double wishbones that do the duty in the regular SLS AMG, Mercedes have now opted for an independent multi-link setup with push-rod dampers. Not much of a compromise there, then.
When are you getting yours?
The E-Cell is slated to go on sale in 2013. When it does, this tennis-ball coloured projectile will oust the Tesla Roadster as the torchbearer among fully electric supercars.
Just a bit of friendly advice. If you do buy one, always think twice before parking it in confined spaces, else you might get trapped inside your electric missile with no rescue in sight!
Source: Car India
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