3 tons, 4 engines, sporty acceleration and a tank turn: The legendary Mercedes G-Class gets an electric edition

A little over two years ago, in September 2021, Mercedes-Benz has announced one of its most legendary models – the famous G Class in an edition that few expected. The iconic boxy SUV gets an electric drive.

The first official renders shown at the time showed what can be seen today as the final product: “G” remained “G”! Sure, it went through a slight restyling, but they’ve all been around for four and a half decades recognizable elements remained in place: round headlights, wide fenders, classic door handles, indispensable square front indicators…

This time it is not called EQG, as it was announced then, but Mercedes-Benz G580, but with EQ technology. The first completely electric version these real off-road icons are powered by a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 116kWh, which with one charge provides enough energy to travel up to 473 kilometers.

The maximum output power, driven by four independent electric motors, located practically on the “corners” of the car, i.e. in the immediate vicinity of the wheels, is 432 kW or 587 “horses” with a maximum torque of 1,164 Nm. Such a drive setup for an electric SUV weighing over three tons (3,085 kilograms) enables almost incredible acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds.

The electronics of the electric SUV and the LOW RANGE off-road transmission reducer offer the driver the option of choosing several different driving modes: G-TURN – enables the so-called tank turn, i.e. turning the vehicle in place (video below), G-STEERING – eliminates the need for multiple turns, i.e. provides a significantly smaller turning circle when driving on difficult terrain.

There is also an “intelligent creep” option, which in off-road driving is enabled by the cruise control for off-road driving, maintaining optimal movement parameters for a certain terrain, while the driver focuses on driving and management itself on a demanding basis.

All this means that the G580 can overcome inclines of up to 45 degrees, depending on the surface on which it moves, as well as remain completely stable when driving on side slopes of up to 35 degrees.

And as the drive battery is located in the floor of the vehicle, so that it would be fully adapted for field driving, Mercedes additionally coated its housing to protect it from water and dirt. An extremely resistant housing was necessary since the electric G can seriously wade into water up to a depth of 85 centimeters, which is 15cm more than versions with SUS motors.

The battery can be charged with both AC and DC power, and when attached to a fast DC charger, it can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in just 32 minutes. Of course, this G-Class converts kinetic energy into electrical energy, which is an additional source of charging, especially in off-road “start-stop” driving.

Silent electric motors are “sounded” by the G-ROAR function, which, in addition to the characteristic sound of the G Class, gives the driver the option of choosing several off-road soundtracks.

When it officially hits showrooms, the basic version of the electric Mercedes G580 will be sold at a price of 142,621 euros. That’s more than what you need to shell out for the top-of-the-line G500 petrol, which costs €132,328, but significantly cheaper than AMG’s high-performance version of the AMG G63 available for €189,329.

The legendary manufacturer from Stuttgart is preparing for the start of sales in a special version in a limited number of copies – Mercedes-Benz G580 EQ Edition One. This edition is refined with exclusive design elements and a special package of extended functions, and will be sold at a price of 192,524 euros.