The Mercedes-Benz G-Class — the rugged off-road powerhouse that launched in 1979 and has since become a status symbol of brutalism — has gone electric. This is, in many ways, Mercedes’ most famous car, a model valued more for its presence and exclusivity than its power and potential. Electrification, then, is more than just a historic moment for the iconic Gelandewagen. It’s the biggest test yet of the company’s recently scaled back electrification plans.
Mercedes’ approach to electrifying the famous SUV suggests the German automaker understands the stakes. The first electric version of the G-Class not only meets, 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 EQG, breaking the pattern set by their predecessors like EQS, EQE and EQB. Starting with the G-Class, all new Mercedes battery electric models will fit into the company’s traditional alphabetical classification.
This is a major change from a branding perspective, but it makes sense when you look at it. The electric G shares a significant amount with its internal combustion predecessors. If Mercedes wanted to break that trend and integrate EVs 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 common layout on trucks and purpose-built off-roaders. Likewise, it still uses a solid rear axle, again favored by serious trail dwellers. The electric G makes a concession to modernity with an independent front suspension setup, but that’s just like the other current G-Class flavors.
Perhaps most importantly, it looks almost indistinguishable from the upcoming 2025 refresh of the G-Class. Mercedes made some subtle tweaks to the styling, most notably the black grille plus a distinctive, exclusive EQ lighting. There are other changes, like slightly rounded corners and the like, that allow this SUV’s sharp shape to cut through the wind more cleanly, but they’re almost impossible to spot.
Take a look, though, and it’s easy to see that aerodynamics aren’t the priority here. Off-road performance is what it’s all about, and Mercedes has gone all out by creating a bespoke powertrain for the G-Class.
A bet on off roading
Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ technology in non-metallic desert sand paint. Image credits: Mercedes
This is where things differ radically from the various petrol-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 gearbox that allows the G-Class’ EQ flavor to have a low-range mode, giving it extra torque and control in low-grip scenarios.
A four-motor arrangement provides precise control of individual wheel speed, allowing for better traction management than a traditional differential-lock setup. It also creates the opportunity for some fun tricks.
The feature is what Mercedes calls G-Turn. Press a few buttons on the center console, hold down the left or right paddles on the steering wheel, then press the accelerator and the G-Class spins on its axis.
It’ll do up to two full turns like this, enough for a bit of showboating, but Mercedes says it’s really for a quick exit from unexpectedly dead-end trails, something the Rivian has seen before.
Another, more practical feature is called G-Cornering, where the G-Class can reduce the speed of the inside rear wheels when cornering. This will help the G-Class navigate narrow, twisty trails much more efficiently than a standard off-roader with locking differentials.
Importantly, none of these features are available on G-Class models with internal combustion engines. If you want them, you’ll have to go electric. and the extra features don’t end there.
The EQ G-Class can wade through water 33.5 inches deep, about six full inches deeper than the other Gs. It also offers an extra 0.3 inches of ground clearance and an extra degree of approach angle.
A hot EV in a world of tepid demand
Image Credits: Mercedes
If you’re worried about roughness, Mercedes-Benz says you shouldn’t be. The G 580 with EQ technology features metal and carbon fiber protection around the 116 kilowatt-hour battery. It’s also completely insulated from water, dirt and whatever else you throw at it. However, it is not made using the silicon anode technology from Mercedes’ collaboration with Sila. These are set to arrive in an “extended range” version of the electric G in the coming years, according to a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson.
It may prove to 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 do 473 kilometers on the European WLTP cycle, which should equate to about 250 miles in US EPA testing, well short of the Model X’s EPA rating of 335 miles.
Despite the range, the electric G-Class sounds like an impressive package, enough to lure any true performance enthusiast away from internal combustion models. Tragically, it’s launching at a time of cooling interest in EVs in general.
Mercedes-Benz recently withdrew its 2030 goal to be an EV-only maker, blaming the difficult market conditions.
Prior to the unveiling of the G 580, Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said that interest in EVs varies greatly by region in Europe. Recently, adoption has taken a huge hit thanks to the sudden removal of EV-related incentives, he added.
This has caused “a bit of uncertainty” among the brand’s customers. “And obviously if you turn off incentives, it has an immediate impact,” Seeger continued.
In Europe, Mercedes has covered this by implementing its own incentives, with “promising” results, according to Seeger. In the US, the “lease window” means many of the brand’s EVs still get the $7,500 federal incentive as long as they’re leased, while dealers here often pile on big discounts of their own.
“For the US, we see people who are very interested, but I would say the majority are more hesitant.”
He says the company is sticking with plans for electrification, but declined to set specific sales targets for the G 580 with EQ technology versus the other G-Class trims with internal combustion. “We are prepared for everything … We have full flexibility in responding to customer needs,” he said.
In other words, we’ll have to wait and see how big a factor the G 580 with EQ technology is in the overall spread of G-Class sales. If it’s not a total drop, though, it’s reasonable to expect more.
Mercedes has so far built higher-horsepower, higher-priced AMG-badged versions of its EQE and EQS electric models. In the U.S., the AMG version of the traditional G-Class outsells its lower-cost versions, despite a starting price of nearly $200,000 — plus whatever extra customization your local dealer wants to apply.
That’s why Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius calls the G-Class “the Birkin bag of our product portfolio.” Will it keep the new EQ flavor? It certainly looks ready to run circles around its off-road predecessors, but whether that’s enough to attract the fickle G crowd remains to be seen.
