When the big push towards alternative power for vehicles first started, many enthusiasts feared that electric and green vehicles would mean the end of the performance car era. Thankfully, there are several carmakers who are intent on proving that green and performance can live on hand in hand.

The first company to offer an all-electric sports car was Tesla with its Roadster. Tesla is set to take the company public with an IPO, which can only mean more from the company in the future. The Tesla roadster proved to be a potent competitor performance wise with some of the highest performing gasoline powered vehicles on the road. Porsche has also recently been working with a hybrid 911.

Mercedes has a new all-electric sports car it is showing off that promises some very impressive performance. The car is called the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell Prototype. All an enthusiast needs to read is that the car has 526 horsepower and 649 lb/feet of torque. The beast can rip to 60 mph in four seconds according to AMG and that mountain of torque is available from the second you step on the pedal.

AMG reports that the move from gas power to electric power required no major modifications to the aluminum frame of the vehicle. The car also maintains it's near ideal weight distribution. The E-Cell uses lithium-ion polymer batteries that sit inside the center tunnel of the car and behind the seats. The battery placement helps to lower the center of gravity for the vehicle.

Each wheel has its own electric motor that can spin at 12,000 RPM. The pair of front-mounted motors did require a redesign of the front suspension. The E-Cell does retain the same handling characteristics as its gas-powered brethren. The EV uses the optional ceramic composite brakes from the gas version and they are gigantic. The front rotors are 18.5-inches in diameter and the rears are 14.2-inches. The ceramic rotors help save weight and are used to recapture energy to charge the battery.

Mercedes claims that the batteries used in the E-Cell have the industry's best power rating at 480 kW. The batteries have their own cooling and heating system to keep them inside the ideal operating range. The electric motors eliminate the exhaust system of the gas version allowing for improved aerodynamics. The car has an extending front apron that drops down three inches at 75 mph and higher to increase down force.

Important vital specs like price, range, and availability are unknown for now.