Forget long electric drives! This high-performance Mercedes hybrid, the mouthful-of-a-name Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance Coupe, is built for speed, not electric range. Its tiny 9-mile electric range is just a bonus.
Here’s the deal: Mercedes threw in a battery to complement the powerful gas engine, not to win any electric car races. This battery is like a tiny but mighty athlete – it can deliver a short burst of serious power, even more than a Chevy Bolt! But it can’t hold a charge for long.
Car batteries are like fashion choices – you can’t have it all. A tiny electric car like a Fiat prioritizes going far on a single charge, sacrificing power. A super speedy hybrid like the Corvette E-Ray has a tiny battery, but it can recapture a lot of power when you slow down. It’s like a supercapacitor, strong but not meant to last.
The Mercedes is similar. The battery helps the gas engine work better, making the car both fast and efficient. Even though it’s a super powerful 816-horsepower beast, it’s actually pretty eco-friendly, releasing similar emissions as a much less powerful car.
So, the next time you see headlines about electric car battery range, remember – it’s not the whole story. Especially for hybrids, there’s a lot more going on under the hood. Building these hybrid batteries is a complex challenge, and these engineers deserve a pat on the back for what they’ve achieved.
