The new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe may be the most technologically advanced electric vehicle any Western automaker has put into production yet. It uses a new kind of EV motor to reduce weight and improve performance. It's powered by a bespoke battery pack infused with lessons from the automaker's Formula 1 program. And it flaunts a peak charging power of 600 kilowatts, the most we've seen in an electric car from a non-Chinese company.
The German automaker struggled with its early EV efforts, which hinged on jellybean-shaped EQ models that had limited appeal and poor sales. The brand then spent the last two years course-correcting, with solid results. The new GLC EV and CLA sport more conventional designs, along with faster charging, more range, and improved software.
View Price on AmazonThe new AMG GT takes that reset to a whole new level. It's the first vehicle on the company's new AMG.EA performance EV platform, and it aims to put Mercedes at the forefront of EV technology, at least outside of China. It will take on rival high-performance sedans like the Porsche Taycan and the Lucid Air Sapphire.
Design is highly subjective, but at least to this pair of eyes, the sedan looks like it may be a tough sell. Gone are the sleek headlamps and smooth bodywork of last year's AMG GT XX Concept, and in comes one of the most excessive exterior designs of recent times.
The AMG GT generates extra downforce at high speeds using an active aerodynamics system that the company calls "Aerokinetics." A panel near the front automatically extends from the underbody at 75 miles per hour, while one in the center activates at 87 mph. There’s also an optional active rear diffuser, standard retractable spoiler, and active cooling flaps in the front.
Mercedes claims the AMG GT is the first production EV to use what are known as axial flux motors. The technology comes from YASA, the British electric motor specialist Mercedes-Benz acquired in 2021. Hybrid Lamborghini Temerario and McLaren Artura also use these kinds of motors, so the technology isn't entirely new to performance cars. But while those models are hybrids, the AMG GT is the first to use the technology in a fully electric production car.
Before we dive deep, here’s what the motors allow the sedan to do: On the GT 63 trim, three motors—two at the rear and one upfront—deliver a whopping 1,153 horsepower and 1,475 pound-feet of torque. It can accelerate from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in 2.3 seconds and reach 124 mph in 6.4 seconds. The top speed is limited to 186 mph. There’s also a GT 55 trim with 805 hp and 1,328 lb-ft.
Here's how axial flux motors differ from the radial flux motors EVs typically use. Conventional motors are shaped like a soup can. A shaft running down the middle (the rotor) spins when an electromagnetic force is applied by the outer part (the stator). Yasa's axial flux motor is shaped more like a pancake, with two disc-shaped rotors sandwiching the stator. The result is a boost in torque, better packaging efficiency, and, ultimately, a much more power-dense design.
Mercedes says the AMG GT's power unit is 67% lighter and 67% shorter than conventional motors.
Source: insideevs.com
