Pure electric vehicles offer all sorts of new possibilities for designers and engineers. While Tesla got the ball rolling with the Model S back in 2012, mainstream competitors have finally caught up. And now it's time for high-performance specialists to join in. The Mercedes-Benz EQS all-electric flagship sedan is set to debut in 2022, a fact we've known for some time now. But now Autocar is claiming an AMG version is also in the works. That means the EQS will be the first EQ model to receive the AMG high-performance treatment. Currently, only the Mercedes EQC crossover is on sale, but the S-Class-sized EQS is a far better fit for AMG's talents.

Not only will the Mercedes-AMG EQS rival the Model S, but also the currently on sale Porsche Taycan Turbo and the also upcoming next-generation Jaguar XJ, which is also going all-electric.

Details about the AMG EQS are scarce at the moment, but sources claim its dual-motor drivetrain will be good for over 600 horsepower and 663 lb-ft of torque. Or, in other words, it will at least equal today's Mercedes-AMG S63 4Matic, powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. And, just for further comparison's sake, the most powerful Tesla Model S, the P100D, offers a total of 784 hp and 841 lb-ft. Could AMG get even closer to those figures? It's certainly possible. The project just received the official greenlight so we wouldn't be surprised if more improvements arrive.

What's for certain is that the AMG EQS will come standard with an all-new all-wheel-drive system that can vary the power levels sent to each wheel. Acceleration will be brisk, with a projected 0-62 mph time faster than the standard EQS's 4.2 seconds. Even better is that unlike the EQC's limited top speed of 112 mph, both the EQS and AMG EQS will see that number raised to 155 mph.

And don't think for a moment that AMG will start and stop with the EQS. Quite the opposite. There are also plans for AMG to do its magic on a future EQE sedan and EQG off-roader. Think of the latter as an electrified G-Class. All three EQ models will share the same high-performance driveline. This AMG driveline, sources are also saying, is being developed as a direct response to Tesla's upcoming Plaid drivetrain, a tri-motor setup that's rumored to produce as much as 800 hp and 1,000 lb-ft.

Because Tesla has a decade's head start over Mercedes and AMG (and the entire auto industry), the folks in Stuttgart and Affalterbach are going to have to work harder than ever to catch up. Let the hi-po EV wars begin.