Mercedes SLS AMG electric car joins Tesla Roadster in prototype cloud

If a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery powering each wheel is a prerequisite for your electric car-driving experience then a Mercedes SLS AMG may just be in your future. This sports car prototype claims 0-60mph in 4 seconds, and similar to the 2010 Toyota Prius it comes standard with regenerative braking. The question is, who can afford it?

Mostly the affluent, or people who save religiously for long periods of time because if it’s priced anything like the Tesla Roadster (Mercedes hasn’t released official pricing yet) then it’ll cost over $100,000. So as far as long-term, measureable impact on the environment the SLS AMG won’t get us very far because it’s out of reach for the masses. But at least it shows that electric cars are nearly as capable as their gasoline powered cousins.

Mercedes is meshing a bit of celebrity power in with social networking – it asked David Coulthard (Formula One racer) to test drive the SLS AMG and his reaction was very positive. “My first experience of an electric car. You will not believe the performance.” via New York Times and the video is below.

It isn’t just goodwill motivating Mercedes to develop greener cars though, the company has “. . . paid more than $300 million in federal fines since 1983 for falling short of fuel-economy standards — thanks largely to its fuel-sucking AMG models . . .” $300 million may only be a bee sting to Mercedes but this is an example where an industry needs more than self-regulation to motivate its stakeholders to change.

Beyond creating a model of what’s possible, building electric cars like the SLS AMG and Tesla Roadster also bring supporting technologies to life, which can then be licensed to other automakers. Toyota’s recent deal with Tesla Motors is a great example that ends with more efficient cars for everyone.