Tonight, Mercedes unveiled its 2025 G-Class electric car – which it calls the “G580 with EQ” – in Beverly Hills, California, and we are here to reveal all the details.
Mercedes first surprised us with the 'EQG' concept at the IAA in 2021. It's now heading into production, but with a somewhat clearer name.
At the time we had almost no details, but now we're learning all about the upcoming electric off-roader right here in the wilds… Beverly Hills, California.
So, there are probably no heavy off-road demonstrations on the horizon today.
But the electric G-Class Do You have the off-road chops. It comes with 4 independent electric motors that produce 579 horsepower and 879 pound-feet of torque. Each engine has its own two-speed transmission, allowing access to lower gears with a 2:1 gear reduction for off-road terrain, and the four independent motors mean the car can direct torque to whichever wheel it needs it – even better than a locking differential.
The four-wheel drive also means the G580 will be capable of what Mercedes calls G-Turn, its brand of what we've previously seen referred to as a “tank turn” when Rivian was working on it (but was later abandoned and switched to a “front-drill” mode instead). This means that it will be able to make two complete turns at once by rotating the wheels on the left and right sides of the car in opposite directions simultaneously.
However, this feature is more than just a game, just for fun. Mercedes also has G-Steer, a kind of mini version of G-turn, which will help you make very tight turns by activating torque vectoring to help make tight turns (although unlike the EQS, it doesn't) Rear wheel steering).
The G580 can climb to 100% grade (45 degrees) and hold side slopes up to 35 degrees, 33.5 inches of water depth (6 inches deeper than the gas version), with 9.8 inches of ground clearance, and a 32 degree approach angle. It has a departure angle of 30.7 degrees and a breakover angle of 20.3 degrees, with double wishbone independent suspension at the front and a solid De Dion axle at the rear.
To help you see where you're going, the G580 has a “transparent hood” feature, which uses a camera to show what's in front of and below the car on the interior display. This is important for off-road driving, because if you're going over a ridge or something and you can't see under the hood, a clear hood can help you see where you're going.
But it's also a Mercedes, which means it's luxurious inside. The 2025 model will be particularly luxurious, as it is only available in EDITION ONE trim with lots of exclusive interior and exterior touches. But you'll be able to basically customize the car any way you want Mercedes factory Vehicle customization process.
So, whether you're conquering a real jungle or just the concrete jungle… Rodeo Drive, or Las Vegas for the latest Cryptocurrency Traditional, you will feel at home in the Mercedes G-Class.
That luxury is certainly needed to justify its price, which Mercedes hasn't released yet, but has said will be “in the ballpark” of the G63 (which starts around $180,000).
The G580 is smaller than the gas-powered G-Series. At 182 inches long, it's about 10 inches taller, but it's the same length (78 inches) and width (76 inches). It shares the same 113.8-inch wheelbase as the gas model.
Other than that, the exterior shares the boxy design of the gas version. Unlike many electric cars, it doesn't adopt a particularly curvy exterior, and still has a decorative grille area.
The decision to stick with a more traditional-looking grille goes hand-in-hand with Mercedes' recent decision to add a “more classic grille option” to the EQS. It turns out that if you want a G580 with the traditional G-series grille, you can just get the standard grille straight from the gas version, if you prefer (but then you won't get those fancy lights).
Overall, Mercedes said it was very important to maintain the overall design of the G-Class. So it hasn't been modified to make it look electric, other than some grille tweaks and some aero bits.
Mercedes says the car has “improved aerodynamics”, which it did certainly The basic design goal of this car consists only of straight lines. But in reality, there were some small changes, such as a slightly modified A-pillar and a strip above the windshield to soften the leading edge of the roof.
As for details about electric driving capabilities, the four aforementioned motors can accelerate to 60 mph in approximately 4.6 seconds, and reach a top speed of 112 mph/180 km/h. Those aren't the quickest numbers out there, but the car isn't meant to be a race car – Mercedes could have gone with a bigger battery, or more power, but that would have meant other compromises elsewhere, and Mercedes said it was. It is much more important to focus on the total package.
Mercedes hasn't told us the range number yet, but with a 116kWh battery and a flatter face than its electric triangle rival on wheels, we can imagine it's somewhere in the mid-2000s. It's 473 kilometers on WLTP, which is 293 miles, but WLTP is a little more lenient than the EPA numbers.
More importantly than overall range, Mercedes says the G-Class will charge with DC from 10 to 80% in 32 minutes, with a charging rate of up to 200 kW (and 11 kW of AC charging rate). This works out to an average charging rate of around 150 kilowatts on DC over a full session, which is very reasonable.
Given the car's massive 116 kWh (usable) battery, it still doesn't charge as quickly as the Hyundai/Kia E-GMP, but it's still pretty good compared to other large EVs (the G580 weighs about 6,800 lbs/3,805 kg, With a total weight of exactly 3500 kg – the maximum allowed by German law).
The G580 comes with five regenerative braking settings, including Mercedes' “D-auto” setting, where the car intelligently decides to apply regenerative braking based on traffic conditions (we recently tried this setting on an eSprinter, but struggled to find a situation that could In it (be useful). The Regen activates the throttle, suggesting one-pedal driving is possible, but we didn't get a chance to try it out and see if the 217kW maximum braking power was really strong enough to avoid most brake pedal use.
For a final electric touch, the car did something new with its distinctive rear end. Instead of the spare tire holder that usually adorns the back of the G-Class, there's an optional compartment that can be used to store charging cables or the like. You can still opt for the spare tire too, but I really like the cargo box.
Take Electric
See, this is the G-Class. It's a special car, it's a figurehead car. If you like it, know you love it. For most drivers, its off-road capabilities won't matter much.
What matters here is whether it stays true to the G-Class, and as far as we can tell, it does. It looks like a G-Class and feels like a G-Class. The doors are closed like a G-Class.
And an important note – Mercedes said: “If a G car can go electric, any car can go electric.” We, of course, agree. This is a car that in many ways is defined as redundant, with the gas version getting just 14 miles per gallon. Yet here it is, electric, with a huge battery (but not unlike other huge electric cars), outperforming the gas version on and off-road.
As for the name, although “G580 with EQ” sounds a bit redundant, I actually like the simple “G580” nomenclature. Sure, people will refer to it as the “electric G-Class” or something, but by giving the car a regular model name, Mercedes is saying it handles the car like a regular car.
Instead of integrating electric vehicles into its own sub-brand, Mercedes says so This is the G-ClassAnd if you want a G-Class, this is a G-Class. Mercedes has been clear that this is not a rational car, and neither do its customers Need Class G, hmm Wants G class.
So here you go. If you want a G-Class, this is the G-Class.
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