Mercedes-Benz Unveils Secret Weapon To Spark EV Sales

Last Updated on: 30th June 2025, 11:56 am

US President Donald Trump has pulled out all the stops in an effort to tank EV sales, but the hits just keep on coming. For one thing, it’s a big world out there and the global market for EVs is still firing away on all cylinders. Sales in the US are also holding up, at least for now, and the US branch of Mercedes-Benz is among those aiming to fan the flames of zero emission mobility desire even higher.

The 4-Door Electric Sports Car Of The Future Is Coming For Your Gasmobile

The latest news from Mercedes-Benz USA came last week, when the automaker dropped a teaser for a forthcoming four-door electric sports car. Developed through the firm’s Mercedes-AMG high performance branch, the “CONCEPT AMG GT XX” is a technology platform aimed at showcasing next-generation elements in Mercedes’s forthcoming production lineup.

The info on the MBUSA website runs on for more than 5,000 words, so for those of you in a hurry I’m just going to cover two details here.

One primary point of interest is a new “axial flux motor,” three of which are to be featured in a series production car. “The innovative electric motors enable high output from an extremely compact package and enter series production at Mercedes-AMG in 2026,” MBUSA affirms.

That’s pretty much all you need to know, though the company does elaborate:

Axial flux motors offer many benefits: they are significantly more compact, lighter and, above all, more powerful than conventional electric motors (radial flux motors). The power density of axial flux motors is around three times that of conventional electric motors. At the same time, the innovative motors are around two-thirds lighter and are just one third of the size.

By compact, they mean compact. The disc-shaped components of the new axial flux motor provide for a width of just 3.1″ for each of the two motors at the rear. The front motor is just slightly wider, at 3.5″.

“This compact motor design offers more flexibility when it comes to drivetrain packaging,” MBUSA emphasizes.

Who’s Gonna Pay For All This?

The aim of producing a four-door car based on the concept AMG GT XX out of the gate indicates that elements initiated in concept will eventually be leveraged to promote the Mercedes-Benz brand to EV buyers in somewhat less rarified financial brackets. For now, though, the company is aiming for EV sales in the rarified world of people who can afford high-performance sports cars.

“Thanks to a peak output of over 1,341 hp, the CONCEPT AMG GT XX can reach speeds of more than 223 mph,” MBUSA notes. That pretty much eliminates prospective EV drivers without access to a track, though some may be attracted by the idea of driving a 223 mph-capable electric vehicle down the road to pick up some groceries in their 25 mph neighborhood, just to show the neighbors who is who. For that matter, most vehicles spend most of their day parked, providing their owners with substantial opportunities to display their opulence to random passers-by.

MBUS is not particularly inclined to market the car for errand-running. For high performance EV sales, performance is the word. “In combination with the new high performance battery, the three axial flux motors attain a completely new level, particularly in respect of continuous output. This allows the CONCEPT AMG GT XX to be pushed to its limits repeatedly, offering a new level of continuous performance that was almost unthinkable in the world of electric mobility – until now,” MBUSA enthuses.

EV Sales & EV Batteries

MBUSA’s lengthy rundown on the concept AMG GT XX  also makes reference to a “high performance battery developed from scratch.” That is another angle of interest from the perspective of general EV sales.

Electric cars were a tough sell back in the early years of the 21st century, when high costs and relatively low battery range were significant obstacles. In more recent years the cost of EV batteries has come down, helping to level the playing field on a total cost of ownership basis. Battery range has also increased, which also puts EVs on a more equal footing with gasmobiles.

Of course, if your EV sales don’t depend on trimming down the cost of a battery, then money is no object. The AMG concept battery weighs in at 800 volts, which cuts down on weight in addition to boosting performance. For the cathode, the AMG GT XX starts with the familiar nickel-cobalt-manganese formula for lithium-ion batteries and adds aluminum, paired with a silicon-based anode for an energy density of 300 Wh/kg.

The battery also showcases a new cell architecture consisting of unusually tall, slim cylinders laser-welded into plastic modules and housed in a casing made of aluminum instead of steel. “This format delivers many benefits for cell cooling. The narrow diameter means the distance from the cell core to the casing is particularly small,” MBUSA explains.

As for charging time, the concept AMG is designed to go 400 kilometers on a five-minute charge.

EV Sales & Sustainability

If fast-charging and convenient locations are the secret to boosting EV sales (they are), MBUSA also has that covered. Drivers who buy into the production version of the AMG concept will be treated to an upgraded charging environment, as the company plans to make over its proprietary charging station network for ultra fast-charging.

Aside from the electric motors and the battery, the AMG concept also aims to attract EV drivers eager to experience the feel of today’s motorsports with elements that evoke the classic sports cars of days gone by.

That experience is a bit difficult to pull off in a four-door, but MBUSA expects that attention to detail will pay off. The rear seats, for example, are bucket-shaped and made of carbon fiber, and the door panels are designed with tubes and closing loop aimed at completing the “innovative and sporty” look.

For all the motorsports bells and whistles, MBUSA also aims to distinguish itself among well-heeled EV buyers who care about the Earth. The concept car includes 100% recycled material on the floor along with a bio-based leather alternative for the 3-D printed seat pads developed in partnership with the US materials innovator Modern Meadow.

Called “LABFIBER Biotech Leather Alternative,” the new fiber combines bio-based polymers with recycled rubber from AMGT3 racing cars and vegetable proteins. It mimics the collagen that enables animal leather to hold color, provide various surface treatments including suede, and age naturally.

“The bio-design means the LABFIBER Biotech Leather Alternative is breathable and waterproof as well as being lighter than real leather. Its maximum tensile strength is also twice as high as that of genuine leather, meaning it is very robust,” MBUSA adds.

Mercedes-Benz has also come up with a high strength silk alternative squirted out by genetically modified bacteria, which is used for the door handles.

Want some? The new leather and silk alternatives will be included in the production series, coming next year.

Photo (cropped): Mercedes-Benz USA spikes its EV sales with a fresh shot of motorsports adrenaline, teasing a 2026 production series four-door electric sports car with the new two-door CONCEPT AMG GT XX (courtesy of MB USA).