The idea of the 45-year-old G-Class gaining an all-electric version was introduced by the EQG concept. But the production version is, in full, called the G580 with EQ Technology. Quite a mouthful, but the point is to distance it from Merc’s EQ-badged electric pioneers – a badge that will fade from prominence over the next few years – and align it firmly with the storied G-Wagen tradition. The electric powertrain will allow the idea of the G-Class to continue into the next decade and beyond.
But some of those G-Fans for various reasons need or want an electric powertrain. So Merc has set itself the very high aim of keeping the G’s looks, capability, comfort and practicality, while going clean and quiet. A tall order.Interesting question. Is this a whole new generation of G-Class, or a midlife facelift with an electric option arriving in the line-up?
There are four permanently excited synchronous electric motors – two at the front, two at the back, each driving one of the wheels. There’s a two-speed transmission, low and high, that means the e-motors can stay spinning at close to their optimal revs even when the car is making very sedate progress, as you often do on tricky off-road routes.
The weight of 3085kg must also get the blame for its slightly dainty maximum payload of 415kg, a figure set to prevent the G580 wandering into commercial vehicle territory. Similarly, it’s not meant to be used for towing.A lot of expertise and testing has gone into making the G580 perform very much like a regular combustion-engined G-Class, despite its significant technical differences and its extra weight.
The electric G-Class is in some ways better off-road than the combustion models, thanks to the way its four motors can deliver instant torque very precisely to the individual wheels. This takes its most extreme form in the new G-Turn function: the car can turn a complete circle within its own length, by getting the wheels on one side to spin in the opposite direction to those on the other. It’s mostly a gimmick.
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