The Mercedes-Benz G-Class – the rugged off-road powerhouse that was launched in 1979 and has since become a brutalist status symbol – has gone electric. This is, in many ways, Mercedes’ most prestigious car, a model prized more for its presence and exclusivity than for its power and capability. Going electric, then, is more than a historic moment for the iconic Gelandewagen; It’s the biggest test yet for the company’s newly scaled-down electrification plans.
Mercedes’ approach to electrifying the prestigious SUV suggests that the German automaker understands what is at stake. The first electric version of the G-Class not only matches but surpasses its internal combustion counterparts in terms of power and off-road capability. What is surprising is the name.
Meet the Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ technology. That’s right, not the EQG, breaking the pattern set by its all-electric predecessors like the EQS, EQE and EQB. Starting with the G-Class, all new battery-electric Mercedes models will fit into the company’s traditional alphabetical taxonomy.
That’s a significant change from a brand standpoint, but it makes sense when you look at it. The electric G shares a substantial amount with its internal combustion predecessors. If Mercedes wanted to break that trend and integrate electric vehicles into the traditional model nomenclature, this is the place.
Nuts and bolts
Image credits: Mercedes
Like the other Gs, the G 580 is still built on a traditional ladder frame, a design common on purpose-built trucks and SUVs. Likewise, it still uses a solid axle at the rear, again preferred by trailheads. The electric G makes a concession to modernity with an independent front suspension setup, but that’s also the same as the other current G-Class types.
Perhaps most importantly, it looks almost indistinguishable from the upcoming 2025 refresh of the G-Class. Mercedes made some subtle tweaks to the styling, the most notable being a black grille plus EQ-exclusive signature lighting. There are other changes, like slightly rounded corners and the like to allow this SUV’s abrupt shape to cut through the wind more cleanly, but they’re almost impossible to detect.
However, if we take a look, we will easily see that aerodynamics is not the priority here. Off-road performance is, and Mercedes has gone all out by creating a custom drivetrain for the G-Class.
A bet on the all-terrain
Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology in desert sand non-metallic paint. Image credits: Mercedes
This is where things differ radically from the various gasoline-powered G-Class models.
Like Rivian’s higher-spec R1T and R1S models, the G-Class is powered by four electric motors, one for each wheel, mounted inside the SUV’s chassis. Each of these engines even has its own two-speed transmission, a selectable reduction gear set that allows the G-Class EQ flavor to have a low range mode, giving it additional torque and control in low grip scenarios.
A quad-motor setup provides precise control over the speed of each wheel, allowing for better grip management than a traditional locking differential setup could achieve. It also creates the opportunity to perform some fun tricks.
The hallmark is what Mercedes calls G-Turn. Tap a few buttons on the center console, hold down the left or right paddle on the steering wheel, then step on the accelerator and the G-Class spins on its axis.
It’ll do up to two full rotations like this, enough for a bit of bragging rights, but Mercedes says it’s really for making a quick exit from unexpectedly terminated trails, something seen again before on Rivian.
Another more practical feature is the so-called G-Cornering, where the G-Class can reduce the speed of the inner rear wheels when turning. This will help the G-Class navigate tight, twisty trails much more efficiently than a typical off-roader with locking differentials.
Most importantly, none of these features are available on G-Class models with an internal combustion engine. If you want them, you will have to opt for the electric ones; And the additional capabilities don’t end there.
The EQ G-Class can traverse water 33.5 inches deep, about six inches deeper than the other G’s. It also offers an additional 0.3 inch of ground clearance and an extra degree of approach angle.
A fashionable electric vehicle in a world of lukewarm demand
Image credits: Mercedes
If you’re worried about ruggedness, Mercedes-Benz says you shouldn’t be. The G 580 with EQ technology has metal and carbon fiber protection around the 116 kilowatt-hour battery. It is also completely isolated from water, dirt, and any other debris it passes through. However, it is not manufactured using the silicon anode technology from Mercedes’ partnership with Sila. According to a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson, these will arrive in an “extended range” version of the electric G in the coming years.
It may be a desirable option. Despite offering 16 kWh more capacity than a Model X, for example, the electric G won’t go as far on a charge as the Tesla. Mercedes says it will cover 473 kilometers on the European WLTP cycle, which should equate to about 250 miles in the US EPA test, well below the Model X’s EPA rating of 335 miles.
Despite the range, the electric G-Class sounds like an impressive package, enough to turn any true performance fan away from internal combustion models. Tragically, it launches at a time of growing interest for electric vehicles in general.
Mercedes-Benz recently backtracked on its 2030 goal of being an all-electric vehicle maker, blaming difficult people market conditions.
Ahead of the presentation of the G 580, Britta Seeger, member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said that interest in electric vehicles varies greatly depending on the European region. Adoption has recently taken a big hit thanks to the sudden removal of incentives related to electric vehicles, she added.
This has caused “a bit of uncertainty” among the brand’s customers. “And obviously, if you turn off the incentives, the impact is immediate,” Seeger continued.
In Europe, Mercedes has covered it by applying its own incentives, with “promising” results, according to Seeger. In the US, the “lease loophole” means many of the brand’s EVs still receive the $7,500 federal incentive as long as they’re leased, while dealers here often rack up their own deep discounts.
“In the United States, we see people who are very interested, but I would say that the majority are more hesitant.”
She says the company is sticking to its electrification plans, but declined to set specific sales targets for the G 580 with EQ technology versus the other G-Class models with internal combustion. “We are prepared for anything… We have complete flexibility to respond to customer needs,” she said.
In other words, we’ll have to wait and see how important the G 580 with EQ technology is in the overall sales distribution of the G-Class. However, unless it’s a complete failure, it’s reasonable to expect more.
Until now, Mercedes has made higher-powered, higher-priced AMG-branded versions of its EQE and EQS electric models. In the United States, the AMG version of the traditional G-Class outsells its lower-cost versions, despite having a starting price of nearly $200,000, plus any exorbitant adjustments your local dealer wants to apply.
That’s why Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, calls the G-Class “the Birkin bag of our product portfolio.” Will the new version of EQ maintain its prestige? It certainly looks ready to run laps around its off-road predecessors, but whether that will be enough to attract the fickle G crowd remains to be seen.
