Mercedes-Benz G-Class Electric Fully Revealed – Quad-Motor, 473 KM Range

Say hello to the new and all-electric Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology! Featured here is the 'Edition One' (in blue) next to the standard guise (desert khaki).

Ahead of this week’s Auto China 2024 show in Beijing, which opens its doors tomorrow, German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz has elected to show off its show star early. Say hello to the new Mercedes-Benz G-Class Electric.

More accurately, the electrified Geländewagen (what the ‘G’ in ‘G-Class’ stands for) is christened as the Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology. Revealed in Beijing were both an ‘Edition One’ launch special dressed in blue, and a desert khaki-hued standard guise.

Underneath, the G-Class Electric is driven by quad-motors (4x e-motors) that output a total of 679 HP and 1,164 NM. This, in turn, allows for 0-100 KM/H sprint done in 4.7 secs - just 0.2 secs off of the V8-engined AMG G63 performance special.

Though the design is largely carried over, the G-Class Electric hides major changes underneath its tough and muscular skin. Headlining things here is its adoption of a quad-motor (4x e-motor) driveline that outputs 579 HP (432 kW) and a whopping 1,164 NM.

For context, the Mercedes-AMG G63 performance special, which packs a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, makes 577 HP and only 850 NM. We’ll also add that the new G-Class Electric is only *slightly* slower than said AMG special in the 0-100 KM/H dash – 4.7 secs versus 4.5 secs, respectively.

Underneath, the G-Class Electric underpins a modified version of the G-Class' ladder-frame chassis. Crammed into which are the quad-motors mentioned, and a massive 116 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Top speed is limited to just 180 KM/H, likely to preserve the electric drive’s range and longevity. Speaking of which, each of the four independent e-motors also has a separate two-speed gearbox and supplies nearly 145 HP (108 kW). All are juiced by a single massive 116 kWh lithium-ion battery.

Said electric drive is crammed into the G-Class’ ladder frame chassis, with the battery itself housed is a special torsion-resistant casing. Each full charge grants up to 473 KM of WLTP range according to Mercedes-Benz, and it accepts DC charging inputs as high as 200 kW to allow 10-80% re-charges in 32 minutes too.

Unlike the regular G-Class, the G-Class Electric sports a distinctively different shuttered front grille. It also has a more aerodynamic front end.

The spare wheel holder mounted on the rear hatch can be optionally repurposed as bin to store the charging cable.

Though virtually identical to the recently updated G450d, the G580 with EQ Technology does feature subtly reworked grille, discrete EQ badges, and blue-painted brake calipers. There has been extensive work to maximise aerodynamic efficiency, including a new A-pillar design and a new spoiler lip on the front of the roof.

It also gets a new aerodynamically sculpted bonnet that lowers drag coefficient down to 0.44Cd from 0.48Cd (G450d) and 0.53Cd (previous-generation G-Class). Notable too is the repurposing of the optional spare wheel holder mounted on the rear hatch as a bin to store this EV luxury SUV’s charging cable.

Whilst on the exterior still, both the AMG Line and Night Package exterior trims comes as standard equipment, as well 20-inch wheels, and dark body accents.

Off-roading remains a core talent of the G-Class Electric, with sain ability bolstered by its specialised suspension, all-terrain driveline modes, and added underbody protection.

Despite the switch to electric, off-road ability remains at the core of the G-Class Electric. Besides the overall dimensions, lifted ride height, and specialised suspension hardware for which, there is also a shiftable low-range transmission that allows for 100% gradeability on certain surfaces, as well as the ability to traverse side slopes as steep as 35-degrees.

Moreover, the independently-powered wheels also enable a special ‘G-Turn’ ability (tank turn), which rotates the G-Class Electric in place by up to 720-degrees. This also reduces turning circle by enabling it to pivot around an individual wheel; as well as the offer of an off-road crawler function that can run as low as 2 KM/H.

On board, things mirror closely to the regular ICE-powered G-Class in terms of tech and luxury. Specific to the G-Class Electric though is a 'G-Roar' function that pipes in artificial engine sound into the cabin.

The EV-specific novelties continue with the inclusion of what Mercedes-Benz dubs as the ‘G-Roar’ function. This essentially pipes in artificial engine sound into the cabin, and it reportedly sounds virtually identical to the note emitted by the G450d model mentioned.

As for the rest of the G-Class Electric’s kit, the images sprawled here – and our gallery below – ought to tell you that things aren’t too different for the regular G-Class indeed. Key highlights include digital displays, luxurious seats, and more.

Check out more images of the new and now all-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class in the gallery prepared below.