Helping Komatsu persuade the mine operator to switch was a new drive system that instead of the conventional mechanical axle and cogs uses rear-wheel-mounted electrical motors.
The additional front-wheel drive called for a newly designed front axle: unlike the series production vehicle with AMG V8 engine, which has a double wishbone axle, the SLS AMG E-CELL features an independent multi-link suspension with pushrod damper struts.