Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing electric vehicle planned for 2015

The growing presence of electric roadster maker Tesla in the automotive world may just be giving the traditional sports model makers a reason for pause.

So, Mercedes-Benz seems to be getting into the game with this plug-in electric version of the SLS AMG Gullwing. According to AutoCar, the zero-emissions version of the SLS is tentatively set for a debut in 2015. The upcoming SLS AMG Gullwing will debut at the Frankfurt motor show this coming September 15.

The SLS eDrive, as it is currently called, will feature the same aluminum body and gullwing doors as the production SLS, but major changes to the chassis and suspension are required to make room for the four wheel-mounted electric motors. The double-wishbone front suspension of the standard car will be replaced by a pushrod at the front axle with the damper units made horizontal. At the back, less dramatic changes are required to mount the motors for the rear wheels.

Those electric motors at each wheel will effectively convert the SLS Gullwing into an all-wheel drive vehicle, with each motor coming with 98kW of power, or the equivalent of 133 bhp. The finally tally puts available power at 392kW, or 532 bhp, and 880 Nm (649 lb-ft) of torque. To compare, the standard SLS Gullwing will come with AMG's 6.3 liter V8 (6208cc) with 420 kW (571 bhp) and 649 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque.

As for performance, AMG says the SLS Gullwing eDrive will do the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in about 4 seconds and top speed will be a relatively unimpressive 193 km/h (120 mph).

Range will be between 150 and 180 km (93 and 112 miles-wise) - also unimpressive given the Tesla Roadster's numbers. And re-charging takes a time-consuming 5 to 6 hours on a high-density power-line and 8 hours on a standard outlet.

But hey, maybe AMG is just putting out realistic charge and range figures while other automakers continue to exaggerate the capabilities of their technologies.