Mercedes-AMG's electric GT SUV claims 710 kW charging. Here is what that means at a real charger

What Mercedes revealed

Mercedes-AMG revealed its first full-size SUV developed entirely in-house on 17 October. It is the second model on the AMG.EA electric platform, after the GT 4-Door Coupé, and comes as the GT 53, GT 55 and GT 63. Production will take place in Hall 32 at the Sindelfingen plant in Germany.^1,3,5,6

The GT 63 uses three axial-flux motors with a peak output of up to 860 kW (1,169 hp) and 530 kW available continuously. Mercedes claims 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds. The GT 55 is rated at up to 600 kW. The GT 53 has two conventional motors and up to 400 kW.^1,3

The GT 63 and GT 55 carry a 128 kWh usable battery on an 800-volt system and the GT 53 a 106 kWh pack. Electrek reports a weight of 2,695 kg for the GT 63.^3,4,5

The charging claims and their conditions

Mercedes says the 128 kWh cars can charge at up to 710 kW DC and go from 10 to 80 per cent in about 12 minutes. It also claims up to 450 km of WLTP range in ten minutes, and its specification panel gives 454 km. The GT 53 peaks at 600 kW and is quoted at 440 km of WLTP range in ten minutes.^1,4

Mercedes USA gives up to 279 miles of WLTP range in 10 minutes, but the conditions sit behind footnotes that its page does not show. Mercedes' German footnotes say the consumption and range figures are preliminary, determined internally, and do not yet have type approval.^1,2

Charjin arithmetic: peak versus average

Seventy per cent of a 128 kWh battery is about 90 kWh. Putting that in over 12 minutes means an average of roughly 450 kW, or about 63 per cent of the 710 kW peak. The peak is held only for part of the session, which is normal for any battery.¹

Mercedes' 700 km maximum WLTP range from 128 kWh implies about 18 kWh per 100 km. On that basis, 454 km in ten minutes means about 83 kWh delivered, an average near 500 kW. A large SUV driven fast on a motorway will use more. At an assumed 28 kWh per 100 km, the same 90 kWh would give about 320 km.¹

For comparison, Volkswagen quotes about 28 minutes for 10 to 80 per cent on the 2026 ID.4 in optimal conditions. The AMG's 12-minute claim is more than twice as quick, while moving a larger amount of energy.^1,7

The charger you will actually find

Electrek notes that the fastest widely available public chargers in the United States, such as IONNA's, are rated at 400 kW, and that a 750 kW American unit has slipped to next year. BMWBlog also points out that 710 kW chargers are rare.^3,4

On a 400 kW charger, 90 kWh cannot go in faster than about 13.5 minutes, even if the car took the full 400 kW throughout. ElectricCarsReport gives about 16 minutes at a 400 kW station for the 128 kWh cars and about 14 minutes for the GT 53. For drivers, that difference is small. The bigger factors are whether a high-power unit is free and whether the battery arrives warm.⁵

Price and timing

In Germany the GT 53 starts at 113,050 euros, with orders from 20 October. The GT 55 and GT 63 follow in spring 2027, with prices still to come.^4,5

In the United States, all three versions are due at dealers in summer 2027 as 2028 models, with NACS charging ports. No US price or EPA range has been published, and Electrek expects the EPA figures to be lower than WLTP. For comparison, Electrek lists the rival Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric at 163,000 dollars.^2,3,6

Before ordering, buyers should check which version the charging figures apply to and get the approved WLTP or EPA numbers once they are published. They should also look at where 400 kW-plus chargers exist on the routes they actually drive.^1,3