AMG is bringing the GT sedan concept to production next year, with a hybrid to follow. On top of that car, the high-performance brand might bring plug-in hybrid powertrains to much of their lineup.
AMG's hybrid tech is called EQ Power+, and one of the first appearances for the badge was on the AMG GT four-door that we saw in Geneva earlier this year. That car is expected to launch in 2018. At launch, it will have a conventional gas-only drivetrain, but Mercedes-AMG chair Tobias Moers told Automotive News that a plug-in hybrid is "not far beyond." The show car boasted over 800 hp from a 4.0L V8 and the EQ Power+ hybrid system.
It won't be the first plug-in for AMG. That honour will go to the Project One hypercar. The Project One is rumoured to have nearly 1,300 hp and an all-carbon chassis. F1-inspired hybrid technology is a good fit on a road car with F1 performance.
But back to hybrid powertrains in the rest of AMG's lineup: "Yeah, why not? Because we are not able to change the future," said Moers. Regulations and emissions requirements continue to tighten, and "we have to move forward and find new innovative solutions." Moers didn't offer a timeline for that shift, however.
Moers says that all-electric AMG models are inevitable at some point as well, adding "I don't know when down the road. But we are not changing the future. It is going to happen."
