Electric Mercedes G-Class confirmed
EV G-Wagen ought to provide a stark contrast to AMG's 18mpg G63...
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius has confirmed that an all-electric version of the G-Class is being developed, meaning the G-Wagen line-up will include everything from an 18mpg (if you're lucky) AMG 63 to a tailpipe-free EQ variant. The idea of an EV G-Class might seem counter intuitive given the boxy model's reputation for the 'traditional' approach to SUV building, but it does emphasise just how far-reaching Merc's electrification efforts are set to become if a car famed for its thirst is not expected to escape the change.
Kallenius, who announced the EQ G-Class at Berlin's Automobile Congress event, refrained from providing any further details, but it seems likely the model will share electric hardware with the EQC SUV, which is at least similar in size. That car uses an 80kWh battery-powered twin motor powertrain offering 408hp and a WTLP-rated 259 miles of range, numbers that seem perfectly adequate for an EV G-Class, even if its square face might hamper that latter figure a fair bit.
Interestingly, Mercedes will not be the first to produce an EV version of the present G-Class. That title falls to Austrian firm Kreisel, which makes a twin-motor 80kWh, 460hp G-Class and claims no negative impacts on the G-Wagen's on and off-road abilities. Arnold Schwarzenegger owns one of these 2.6-tonne Kreisels and has openly promoted its abilities in public. Although something tells us Mercedes's EQ engineers will be tasked with ensuring their in-house version moves the game forward quite substantially, for obvious reasons.
We've no clue yet as to when the EV G-Class will reach showrooms, but with Mercedes having set itself the target of producing one electric model for every 10 it makes by 2022, the EQ G is probably less than two years away. If you can't wait until then, there's always Bollinger's all-electric (and even more retro-looking) 1 SUV...
- Maximum torque at zero speed.
- Individualised torque to each wheel.
- Articulation may not be limited by drivetrain components.
- Range may need to be sufficient rather than hundreds of miles.
- Worries that a fuel tank won't work at an angle (unless very full or baffled) become irrelevant.
- Individualised torque to each wheel.
- Articulation may not be limited by drivetrain components.
- Range may need to be sufficient rather than hundreds of miles.
- Worries that a fuel tank won't work at an angle (unless very full or baffled) become irrelevant.
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