Drift'n'Charge: Mercedes-AMG E Performance Can Do That

Inspired by the technology it uses in F1, Mercedes came up with a rather cool way to recharge the battery: drifting. This was revealed last week in a video posted on Mercedes-AMG's official Youtube channel, and it is something that was not initially known about technology.

At the end of March 2021, Mercedes-AMG released full details on a new line of powertrains called E Performance, including a video called "AMG Future of Driving Performance," as a means to show the direction it is heading. Now, in a follow-up video, the brand came forth with some additional information, and revealed a little secret mentioned right at the end: drift-to-charge.

Jochen Schmitz, a hybrid operation strategy developer, reveals in the video that the E Performance software was developed to allow energy to be recovered during drifting.

"We use the electric system to slow down or take the load out of the ICE, putting it into the battery. And then, when the slippery condition is over, the ICE is already at full load, and you can accelerate much faster."

In effect, says the carmaker, the internal combustion engine (ICE) is not only not cutting down the power, but it is also recharging the battery while drifting.

AMG will launch two models based on this tech, including an E Performance GT 4-door Coupe. It comes with a V8 engine that will reach a maximum power of 805 hp and electric motors to provide up to 201 hp.

If you want to learn more about the tech, or listen to the experts talking about it, you can check the video released by Mercedes below.