For many who want to grind gravel and sure over boulders whereas surrounded by luxurious nappa leather-based – and might't think about emitting a single molecule of carbon dioxide whereas doing so – the whole Mercedes G-Wagen electrical is for you.
The very costly standing image is now much more than only a standing image, because of a 116 kWh battery and all-electric powertrain, full with 4 individually managed motors, with a most whole output of 432 kW – or the equal of roughly 580 horsepower – and a most torque of 1,164 Newton-meters.
“We lately joked that it's just like the Mercedes Birkin bag,” stated Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius. decoder podcast in 2022. “Everyone needs one and the wait time may be very lengthy. It might even be essentially the most fascinating automobile in our portfolio.”
However with nice energy comes nice expense. The Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ know-how (an disagreeable identify for an unique electrical car, however I'll permit it) will begin at €142,621.50 ($152,184.27), whereas the primary version prices €192,524.15 ($205,432.89). That's a premium over petrol fashions, which usually begin at round $143,000. At launch, the Version One can be unique to the US market and can attain sellers within the second half of 2024.
The G 580, or EQG if you’ll, can be constructed on a scale body idea, which the automaker says is key to its off-roading. Like its petrol equivalents, the ladder body consists of unbiased double wishbone entrance suspension in addition to a newly developed inflexible rear axle for a decrease heart of gravity. The battery will propel the EQG to round 473 km (293 miles) in keeping with the WLTP customary, which can probably be even decrease when primarily based on the much less optimistic EPA ranking.
The electrical G-Wagen will include an entire caravan of nifty circus methods, together with a tank flip (which Mercedes has dubbed the G-Flip) for sharper, on-axis turns. G-Flip will work on unpaved roads and trails and solely at low speeds. And a sensible three-speed off-road crawl operate will preserve the electrical SUV on the optimum pace whereas touring over uneven surfaces. And Mercedes boasts that the EQG will stay secure on slopes of as much as 35 levels and has a most wading depth of 850 millimeters (33 inches).
In fact, all that off-roading requires further safety for the battery, which is saved within the flooring of the car for that low heart of gravity. Each grain of gravel is a possible hazard when driving with a dual-level lithium-ion battery with 216 cells put in in 12-cell modules between three ranges of underfoot cooling.
The underbody skid plate, which is exclusive to the electrical G-Class, is created from an “clever mixture of supplies” that features carbon, which “will increase rigidity in comparison with alternate options created from metal or aluminum,” the corporate says. It additionally offers long-lasting corrosion safety and saves weight. The plate is 26 millimeters thick, weighs 57.6 kilograms and is hooked up to the ladder body with greater than 50 metal screws.
And in what's changing into an more and more regular factor to do with new electrical autos, Mercedes has determined to present its electrical G-Wagen a pretend engine noise, dubbed right here the G-Roar. Impressed by the “emotional V8 sounds” of the petrol vary, the G-Roar will use exterior audio system to ship a sound that simulates the “deep bass and sonorous tones” of its fuel-guzzling sibling. The sounds can change once you change between driving modes: Consolation produces a extra subdued pretend engine noise, whereas Sport will hit you proper within the feels (Mercedes additionally describes it as “emotional”).
Even with an emphasis on off-roading on the expense of efficiency, the G 580 with EQ know-how (no, nonetheless disagreeable, again to EQG) is not any slouch on the pavement. The electrical SUV can speed up from zero to 100 km/h in four.7 seconds and can be electronically restricted to a prime pace of 180 km/h (or 112 mph).
The outside is almost similar to the present mannequin's gas-powered G-Wagen. You get illuminated grille accents, which can be changed with an optionally available blacked-out entrance panel. The hood is barely raised and the backs of the rear wheels embody air curtains for higher aerodynamic efficiency. There's additionally new A-pillar cladding and a roof spoiler lip. However in any other case, it might be troublesome to decide on EVs in a full G-Class lineup.
A rear-mounted designer field seems supreme for a spare tire, however open it up and — shock! — that's charging cables and different optionally available goodies like snow chains. In fact, if you wish to be a traditionalist, you may definitely retailer your spare tire there. No judgement.
Inside, the electrical G-Wagen sticks to what works, retaining the roll bar for the passenger and surrounding the whole lot with carbon fiber. There are many bodily buttons and the air vents are delightfully tactile and round. The pedals are lined with raised rivets as a result of, you already know, off-road. And the 12.Three-inch digital show runs on Mercedes' well-received MBUX infotainment system, but in addition helps Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Rear-seat passengers can take pleasure in a wide range of media content material on their private 11.6-inch touchscreens, that are mounted on the backs of the entrance seats. Content material will be moved from the again to the entrance show, however video watching and net looking are reserved for parked mode solely.
The electrical G-Wagen first appeared in idea type in 2021 after which once more in 2022, regardless of the corporate's lack of readability on manufacturing plans. (To compensate, Mercedes launched a promotional video with a ridiculously excessive idea set in a 1970s area opera with aliens.)
However since then, there have been loads of electrical off-roaders, together with the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Chevy Silverado EV, the Hummer EV, and the Rivian R1T and R1S. Whether or not any of those autos truly spend a single second doing precise off-road stuff — versus selecting up garden fertilizer at The Dwelling Depot — is solely up for debate. The electrical G-Wagen probably gained't be any totally different, because the boxy SUV has at all times been extra generally seen within the driveways of the über-rich than on the paths of Moab.
Nonetheless, the EQG is an indication that, whereas it has backed off a few of its early predictions about electrification, Mercedes nonetheless understands that its super-luxury standing symbols should go electrical, too.