Mercedes's AMG performance lineup has expanded considerably in recent years, giving BMW M and Audi Sport some stiff competition. At one end of the spectrum, you have entry-level models like the AMG A35 sedan. Then there's the Mercedes-AMG One, a halo hypercar with F1 tech and a 1.6-liter V6 hybrid generating 1,021 hp. An exciting new era for AMG is also about to begin.

At the Munich Motor Show, the Mercedes-AMG EQS debuted as the performance brand's first EV. But as Mercedes-AMG prepares to enter a new electric era, AMG's new boss, Philipp Schiemer, told Autocar there are going to be some big changes to the performance division's model lineup.

Schiemer conceded that AMG reached "a phenomenal position in the performance market" under the leadership of former boss Tobias Moers, the new CEO of Aston Martin. Going forward, AMG's primary focus is high-end models like the flagship EQS and the insane 843-hp Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance, the most powerful production car Mercedes has ever built.

With more resources being poured into high-end models, AMG's entry-level lineup will be cutback. In Schiemer's words, AMG's model range will "decrease a little bit." While he didn't highlight any specific models, but Schiemer's comments suggest entry-level models like the A35 Sedan and CLA 35 don't have a future. Trimming back its entry-level models will allow AMG to put more resources into its dedicated EV platform and "increase their efforts to incorporate cutting-edge technology."

Inevitably, electric Mercedes-AMG models will be heavier than their combustion counterparts. To compensate for the extra weight added by batteries, AMG is investing in "sophisticated chassis software." Schiemer is confident that improvements in charging times and infrastructure will enable customers to accept AMG cars with smaller and lighter batteries, which will result in better performance.

To maximize the potential of its electric performance cars, AMG will work closely with the High Performance Powertrains (HPP) division in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, where Mercedes' Formula 1 engines are built. Schiemer believes this will "bring the logic and the philosophy" of F1 to road-legal performance cars.