AMG thinks an electric roadster would be an "emotional product that builds the brand."
A new electric era has begun at Mercedes-AMG. At this month's Munich Motor Show, the German performance division presented the AMG EQS, an all-electric sedan with two electric motors producing up to 751 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque combined. This is the first pure battery-electric Mercedes with an AMG badge, and it certainly won't be the last.
Trademark filings suggest that a high-performance version of the smaller EQE will join the EQS in the near future, but that's not the most exciting piece of news today. Speaking with Top Gear, AMG COO Markus Schafer has hinted that an electric AMG roadster could also be in the pipeline, but this presents several challenges.
"It's not that easy to build a good-looking electric cabriolet," he admitted. Droptops are heavier than hardtops, making it more difficult to optimize the range and performance in an electric convertible. "And we have to recognize that the demand for roadsters and cabriolets is declining." Schafer added that China is "not a cabriolet market" and that less cabriolets are being sold in Europe compared to a few years ago. Despite demand for convertibles falling, the COO thinks a drop-top EV could be a "very attractive product and an emotional product that builds the brand."
"We have to put our thinking caps on and engineer an EV in the form of a roadster," Schafer added. "When you think about AMG and turning AMG into an electric brand, we will definitely think about a cabriolet as well."
Since Mercedes has discontinued the S-Class convertible and coupe, we probably won't see a convertible version of the AMG EQS. Filling the void of the S-Class convertible will be the new Mercedes SL, which is being developed by AMG alongside the new AMG GT. Allegedly, the next-generation AMG GT will only be available with a hardtop, so this also rules out the possibility of an electric AMG GT. But what about the Mercedes SL?
The range-topping SL73e plug-in hybrid will reportedly have 800 hp and 738 lb-ft on tap, so an even more powerful electric SL could be Mercedes-AMG's answer to the long-delayed Tesla Roadster. Make it happen, Mercedes-AMG.
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