Enlarge / A new grille and wheels are the key giveaway that this is an AMG EQE SUV. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

Mercedes-Benz provided a flight from DC to San Diego and a return from Los Angeles, plus four nights in hotels so we could drive the AMG EQE SUV as well as see the Vision One-Eleven and drive the AMG S-Class . Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

A few months ago, we tested out Mercedes-Benz's EQE SUV , the German automaker's newest midsize electric vehicle. It was a solid performer—not exactly exciting but comfortable and equipped with one of the industry's best infotainment systems. Now it has been given the AMG treatment, worked over by Mercedes' in-house tuning division. There are some subtle styling tweaks, suspension upgrades, and new AMG-specific electric motors that increase power to 677 hp (505 kW). But has the makeover from Affalterbach managed to infuse more excitement into the EQE SUV recipe?

You can tell you're looking at the Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV and not the regular Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV in a couple of different ways. The black panel at the front is new, with chromed vertical strakes that call to mind the radiator grilles on air-breathing AMGs. The front bumper is sportier, and gloss black accents are used in place of chrome, as well as on the aerodynamic bits like the various air vents and diffusers.

There's an AMG badge on the hood in place of the usual three-pointed star, and the highlight of the AMG treatment, to me at least, was the black 21-inch AMG alloy wheels, which come wrapped in EV-specific Michelin Pilot Sport tires. But overall, the tweaks are subtle and unlikely to be noticed by a casual observer.

Enlarge / You can tell you're looking at an AMG S-Class because instead of the normal grille, there's a three-pointed star on the grille. This also conceals the forward-looking sensors much more elegantly than the normal S-Class. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

Mercedes-Benz provided a flight from DC to San Diego and a return from Los Angeles, plus four nights hotels so we could drive the S63 as well as see the Vision One-Eleven and drive a new Mercedes-AMG battery electric vehicle. You'll be able to read about that EV on July 11. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

SANTA MONICA, CALIF.—What happens when you stick a whole load of F1-spec lithium-ion cells in a big luxury sedan? That's the question that Mercedes-AMG decided to answer with its latest plug-in hybrid, the S 63 E Performance. It's a rare example of direct technology transfer from racing to a road car, albeit one that indulges its occupants with massages and even a beverage fridge.

This is the second S-Class we've tested recently; in 2022, we tried out the mild hybrid S500 4Matic , which impressed us with its technology and its comfort. And this is actually the second plug-in hybrid S-Class to be offered on the W223 platform—the $123,700 S580e combines a straight-six gasoline engine and electric motor and should be starting to appear in dealerships already.

This is not that car. No, this is a Mercedes-AMG, which means it's been worked over by the company's in-house tuning division to make it all a little bit... extra. AMG started as an independent tuning operation in 1971 and rose to fame by building hotted-up road and racing versions of Mercedes models. It's also not due out until the end of the year, so we can't tell you how much it will cost, though with options, you can probably expect to get close to (or exceed) $200,000.

Enlarge (credit: Aston Martin)

On Monday morning, Aston Martin announced that it has a new technology partner. The low-volume British sports car maker has just signed a deal with Lucid, the US-based electric vehicle startup, that will see future Aston Martin EVs use Lucid's efficient and powerful powertrains.

"The proposed agreement with Lucid forms a significant pillar of our electrification strategy, providing Aston Martin with access to the industry's leading powertrain and battery systems technology. Combined with our internal development, this will allow us to create a single bespoke BEV platform suitable for all future Aston Martin products, all the way from hypercars to sports cars and SUVs," said Roberto Fedeli, Aston Martin's chief technology officer.

Aston Martin is paying Lucid $232 million in a combination of cash and shares to gain access to its technology. Additionally, it will spend at least $225 million on powertrain components.

Enlarge / The Mercedes-AMG EQS combines bar-of-soap aerodynamics with menacing matte paint and more power than a mid-'90s F1 car. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

Mercedes-Benz provided flights from DC to Denver and back, plus two nights in a hotel so we could drive the EQE sedan and the EQS SUV . While we were there, we spent some time in the AMG EQS sedan as well. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

DENVER—Looking back five years, I'm not sure anyone would have quite predicted where the electric vehicle market was headed. Cars like the Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf, and Tesla Model 3 appeared to point toward mass-market EVs becoming more and more common. Instead, EVs have gone further upmarket, with sales prices pushed higher and higher by a combination of supply shortages, massive batteries, and a frothy market of collectors fighting automotive FOMO .

It's not really that surprising, given that profit margins for big luxury cars are much larger than for small, mass-market ones. Which is why everything looks so expensive, as both startups and established automakers bring their first EVs to market. Like the Mercedes-Benz EQS for example, which is a highly aerodynamic electric alternative to the S-Class sedan that impressed us when we tested one earlier this year . Now we've tried a more extreme version of that car—the $147,500 Mercedes-AMG EQS sedan.

Like other car companies, Mercedes is in the process of figuring out what electrification means for all its various divisions, and that includes AMG. Originally an aftermarket tuning company, Mercedes-AMG GmbH has been entirely owned by the Germany automaker since 2005 but still continues to work its tuning magic on mercs, including some technology transfer from its all-conquering Formula 1 program.

Enlarge / One of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team's Actros Gigaspace trucks, seen here at this year's Hungarian Grand Prix, when it first tried the drop-in renewable biofuel instead of conventional diesel. (credit: Steve Etherington/Mercedes-AMG F1)

A switch from diesel to biofuel significantly reduced the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team's freight carbon emissions in a new test. The team made the switch for the final three European races of this season, using locally sourced hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)—made from food waste like fryer oil—to run 16 heavy trucks as they hauled the team between grand prix in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Over a distance of 870 miles (1,400 km), it says the use of HVO resulted in less carbon emissions—44,091 kg less to be specific, which is a decrease of 89 percent compared to normal fossil fuel diesel.

The race cars are a rounding error

A push for greater fuel efficiency in Formula 1 has resulted in some fairly remarkable engineering. A current F1 powertrain is as complex as the sport has ever seen, combining comparatively tiny but extraordinarily efficient V6 gasoline engines with hybrid systems that recover energy under braking and from the turbocharger spinning .