Buy this Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Electric Drive and live the life of an electric "teapot"!
Mercedes-Benz is in the midst of a major push for electric vehicles, with several models in the pipeline. This is a big change from just a few years ago, when Mercedes' idea of an electric car was the limited production SLS AMG Electric Drive. One of these electric gullwing coupes is for sale through RM Sotheby's.
Unveiled at the 2012 Paris International Motor Show, the SLS AMG Electric Drive replaces the gasoline-powered SLS supercar's 6.2-liter V-8 engine with four electric motors that produce a combined 740 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque.
Mercedes announced a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds, 0.3 seconds slower than the modern gasoline-powered SLS AMG GT. Top speed was electronically limited to 155 mph, and the electric drive temporarily held the Nürburgring lap record for a production EV at 7:56.234.
When Mercedes unveiled the car, it announced a range of 150 miles, measured on a more liberal European test cycle. This range was provided by a 60-kilowatt-hour battery pack weighing approximately 1,200 pounds. To counter the weight, Mercedes used a full carbon fiber monocoque for the electric drive, which it claimed was 30% lighter than the gasoline-powered car's aluminum construction.
The car, which boasts a retina-pleasing green electric paint color exclusive to Electric Drive, was delivered new to Switzerland and is currently in the Netherlands. According to the listing, it has traveled only 2,361 miles between the two owners. The asking price is 1,050,000 euros (about $1,200,000).
This is a significant increase from the original base price of 416,500 euros, but this is a very rare car. Mercedes originally planned to produce 100 units, but according to the listing, only nine are believed to have actually been produced.
The SLS AMG Electric Drive was not the only high-priced electric sports car to fall flat. The Audi R8 E-Tron was also introduced around the same time, but ultimately fell flat due to problems with the development process.
Now Mercedes is concentrating on more mainstream EVs, such as the EQC crossover already on sale in Europe. This model will not be introduced in the U.S., but the flagship EQS sedan is expected to arrive in the U.S. later this year. A host of other crossovers and sedans will also be introduced, including the mid-size EQE sedan and several compact models.