Mercedes-AMG shatters EV speed record
Race drivers team up to show the full potential of next-generation muscle cars from an auto giant.
The axial flux motor may sound like something out of Back to the Future, but it could be the key to revolutionising the electric car.
This new type of electric motor has been developed by Mercedes-Benz’s performance division, AMG, with the help of its Formula 1 team. And now it has been put through an extreme test cycle to showcase just how fast and capable the technology is.
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The Concept AMG GT XX, which is the test bed for the axial flux motor and the equally-new directly-cooled high-performance battery, just set a new record for how far an electric car has driven in 24 hours as well as ‘driving around the world’ in less than eight days.
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In total, the striking, bright orange Mercedes-AMG set 25 new records at the Nardo test facility in Italy. The key to the majority of the records was speed, with the Concept AMG GT XX capable of running up to 300km/h on the famous Nardo high-speed bowl.
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This allowed it to cover 5479km in just 24 hours, establishing a new record for how far an EV has driven in a single day.
It’s further than any race car has managed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
But Mercedes-AMG kept going for more than a week, covering 40,075km, which is the equivalent of the circumference of the world at the equator, in seven days and 13 hours.
That’s an average of approximately 5300km every day for over a week, allowing it to theoretically circle the planet.
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That required the car to maintain 300km/h, so the German firm drafted in racing drivers, including F1 superstar, George Russell.
“As an F1 driver, I’m used to pushing technology to its absolute limits – the Concept AMG GT XX really impressed me,” Russell said. “The axial flux motors respond as immediately and precisely as a Formula 1 drivetrain, but with an endurance that I have only ever experienced with combustion engines. This technology will revolutionise the driving experience – both on the racetrack and on the road.”
Axial flux motors are designed to be significantly lighter and more compact than the radial flux used by most EVs. These motors were first developed by a British electric motor company called YASA, which Mercedes bought in 2021 when it saw the potential in the technology.
“The goal is to redefine the limits of what is technically possible in the age of electric drives,” said Markus Schäfer, Mercedes’ Chief Technology Officer.
This isn’t all just for grabbing headlines, the new AMG. EA vehicle platform will debut in 2026 and will feature this same technology under the skin. The smaller axial flux motors will allow the company to free up more space and save weight, freeing up the design platform for future electric AMG vehicles.
The switch to electric power will be a major challenge for AMG, a brand synonymous with powerful and loud V8 and V12 engines. Its attempts to downsize for greater efficiency have been met with a cool reception from customers, so showcasing the speed and performance of its new electric technology will be critical for the brand to succeed in the future.
Even if no AMG owner will likely drive their electric car around the world.
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