Mercedes-AMG has started small-scale production of the hybrid-electric Hypercar One with Formula 1 technology. A total of 275 examples of the Mercedes-AMG One will now be built, the first of which are to be delivered to customers during the second half of 2022.
The project had been presented at the IAA 2017, but the start of series production had been postponed several times: Originally, deliveries were scheduled to start in 2019.
“The Mercedes‑AMG ONE is the most ambitious project we have ever undertaken – from development to production,” said AMG boss Philipp Schiemer. “The production of the exclusive small series is a truly unique challenge. For the first time, the hypercar brings current Formula 1 hybrid technology almost one-to-one from the race track to the road and combines overwhelming performance with exemplary efficiency.” At the presentation of the production model in early June, he added that they had underestimated the effort required to make the drivetrain of a Formula 1 racing car suitable for everyday use.
The hybrid drive with a 1.6-litre V6 turbo engine and four electric motors is built by the motorsport experts at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth (England). One electric motor with 90 kW sits on the turbocharger, another directly on the combustion engine to drive the rear axle, and two further electric machines drive the front wheels. The petrol engine has an output of 422 kW, the electric motor on the crankshaft contributes 120 kW. The two electric motors for the front wheels together deliver 240 kW. Mercedes-AMG gives the system output as 782 kW.
Although there is also a purely electric driving mode, the focus of the hybrid drive is on power and racetrack performance. So, according to provisional figures, WLTP electricity consumption is 32 kWh/100km and petrol consumption even in WLTP is 8.7 litres/100km, which equates to CO2 emissions of 198 g/km.
The complete vehicle is manufactured in Coventry, UK. Working with manufacturing partner Multimatic, Mercedes-AMG has set up its own low-volume production facility there. Each customer vehicle is tested again by a factory driver on a nearby proving ground.
Keyword: Mercedes launches production of the hybrid Hypercar One