Mercedes' parent company Daimler has proposed tens of billions of dollars in battery-electric vehicle development between 2022-2030 and could go fully electric by the end of the decade. The company's move from combustion engines to electric wasn't entirely shared by the head of AMG, Maybach, and G-Class.
In a recent interview, Mercedes-AMG head Philipp Schiemer told Road & Track that he expects the V-8 engine to stick around for another decade or so.
"I think there will be a future, yes," Schiemer said. "I think for the next ten years we will see the V-8s, for sure. We have a lot of customers who love their cars and I still think that we will see those people buying the [V-8] cars for a long time."
He said there is still "very high demand for" V-8 luxury and high-performance vehicles worldwide despite the push to greenify the industry.
AMG Chief Technical Officer Jochen Hermann provided an example of the V-8's future with the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S e-Performance, which has hybridization built into it.
"You have this extra power, like low-end torque which is usually more of an issue for a combustion engine. We get that instant torque, whereas, you know, on a German Autobahn[...] this is where the V-8 engine really kicks in," Hermann said.
He noted combining the V-8 with a performance hybrid system increases the vehicle's performance.
The hopes of winding down the use of combustion engines in new vehicle production might not entirely be the case for some high-performance Mercedes models. It appears AMG is still a huge fan of the V-8 engine.
Greta Thunberg and her gang of climate alarmists will likely be displeased by the comments made by AMG heads to keep the V-8 engine in production for a decade or more.