Skip to main content

Mercedes-Benz AMG goes overboard, builds world’s fastest electric powerboat

The World's Most Powerful Electric Drive Powerboat Electrified b
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Just when we thought Mercedes-Benz AMG had done it all and built every crazy vehicle it could, it goes and does something like this and builds the world’s most powerful and fastest electric-driven powerboat.

Mercedes AMG teamed up with Cigarette Racing to build a boat inspired by the SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive, which is the most powerful and fastest production electric vehicle on the planet.

Recommended Videos

The paint slathered all over this electric ocean racer is called “AMG Electricbeam magno.” AMG calls the EV ocean monster simply the “Cigarette AMG Electric Drive Concept.” We would have called it something like the “Electra,” but maybe that’s just us.

This 38-foot electrically driven boat creates an absolutely staggering 2,200 horsepower and 2,213 pound-feet of torque. How does it produce so much power? Glad you asked. Mercedes has fitted it with 12 – you read that correctly – compact, liquid-cooled permanent-magnet synchronous electric motors.

The 12 motors have been combined into two drive units, six motors in each unit. Each drive unit has been given a dedicated transmission as well. The benefit of having a big, long electric boat filled with EV bits is that the weight can be kept very low in the vessel, making handling superb.

The Electricbeam is capable of a 99.4 MPH top speed, which makes it the fastest electrically driven powerboat in the world.

Since this is only a concept and the cost of the boat is surely astronomical, we doubt we’ll see it hit showrooms – ever. Should this one go up for sale, though, we’d love to see someone like Usain Bolt buy it. Heck, then he could call it the “Usain Boat.” The fastest boat for the fastest man seems about right.

Nick Jaynes
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…
Mercedes-AMG shifting gears with a variety of hybrids and EVs on their way
Mercedes-AMG's hybrid and electric drivetrains

Known for its fire-breathing V8s and power-dense turbo fours, Mercedes-AMG has announced it will reinvent its range in the 2020s by placing a major focus on electrification. Hybrid, and even electric, sports cars are around the corner.

Mercedes-Benz's high-performance arm started dabbling in electrification when it released the Project One, a limited-edition hypercar powered by a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain sourced from its hugely successful Formula One cars. As we reported in 2018, some of the technology developed for this project will trickle down to the more accessible members of the company's range, including a few models that haven't been publicly revealed yet.

Read more
Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?
Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Read more
EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says
ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.

Read more