Only two short years after Mercedes-Maybach launched its first S-Class—and eight years since Daimler incorporated Maybach into Mercedes-Benz in 2015—the German marque’s pure luxury brand is going electric its first hybrid offering.
“With our first plug-in hybrid model, we are combining the luxury experience typical of Maybach with emission-free local driving when in electric driving mode,” Daniel Lescow, Head of Mercedes‑Maybach at Mercedes‑Benz Group AG, says of the new S 580e.
“The Mercedes‑Maybach S 580e represents a pivotal step in the transformation of our heritage brand into an electric future. We will present our first fully electric model as early as 2023.”
While hybrids are more environmentally friendly that combustion-powered counterparts, the decision to electrify the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class was made in the pursuit of silence. All manufacturers of chauffeur’s cars, including Rolls-Royce and Bentley, aim to make the cabin as quiet as possible.
When driven on pure electricity for up to 62 miles, the Mercedes-Maybach S 580e’s makes almost no noise, the brand promises. The faint whir of the electric motors will likely be the only audible tell that one’s in motion.
When performance is the foremost objective, the S 580e offers a combined 510 horsepower, the bulk of which comes from the standard S 580’s straight-six. Even at a weight approaching 5,000 pounds, it’ll hit 62 mph in brisk 5.1 seconds on the way to 155 mph.
Being a plug-in hybrid, the battery can also be recharged in just 30 minutes when paired with a 60 kW DC fast charger, while other cool “electric-specific” features include a concealed charging socket on the left side of the vehicle and blue color accents in the headlights and battery charging indicators.
The Mercedes-Maybach S 580e will be available in Chinese markets first before heading to Europe. Whether it will make it stateside will be revealed closer to the car’s full unveiling later this year.
