An all-electric Mercedes G-Class. Really? Jonathan Crouch takes a long look at the G 580 with EQ Technology.

Ten Second Review

The Mercedes G 580 with EQ Technology is an all-electric G-Class with quite astonishing engineering. Ever wondered whether ultimate off road prowess could continue into the all-electric era? This car proves it will.

Background

This, if we're honest, is a car we thought we would never see: an all-electric Mercedes G-Wagen. For all sorts of reasons. For a start, don't Mercedes and Mercedes-Maybach versions of the EQS SUV already fill the billionaire electric SUV niche? And how on earth could a G-Class EV be created that could match its combustion equivalent in the world's toughest terrain? In such an environment, where would you charge the thing anyway? Rarely can there have been so many reasons not to build a car, but Mercedes has done it anyway and here we are reviewing the G 580 with EQ Technology. If the clumsy name doesn't put you off, the exorbitant price tag probably will, but if funds permit, don't stop reading quite yet. Mercedes says this EV G-Class is not only quicker than the regular model but also torquier and better off road. More significantly perhaps, this electric powertrain will allow this iconic model line to continue into the next decade and beyond.

Driving Experience

When Mercedes sets its mind at an engineering challenge, the results can be astounding. So it is here. There's a single powertrain on offer and a single enormous 116kWh battery pack option - but what a drivetrain. It has four permanently excited synchronous electric motors, each with 145bhp, two at the front and two at the rear, each driving one of the wheels, enabling a rather clever party trick (we'll get to that). EVs usually have only a single-speed transmission, but impressively this one has two speeds because Mercedes has developed a low range ratio (without which a G-Wagen wouldn't really be a G-Wagen). Total output is 579bhp (a bit less than a G 63) and 1164Nm of torque (quite a bit more). 62mph occupies 4.7s to the accompaniment of a surprisingly authentic 'G-ROAR' artificial engine note. The maximum speed (limited by the barn door aerodynamics and 3-tonne kerb weight) tops out at 112mph. Official EV range is supposed to be somewhere between 272-294 miles; yeah right. We mentioned the party trick; it's called 'G TURN'. This is where all four motors are used to turn the car nearly 360-degrees on the spot. It's not supposed to be used on tarmac, but you won't be able to resist amazing your friends with it. A more useful tech trick is 'G STEERING', there to reduce the turning circle by braking an inside wheel and sending extra power to an outside one. It's supposed to get you round tight off road bends, but mostly will probably be used by extrovert owners for rather impressive Max Power-style skids. Already, you want one of these don't you? And we haven't even got to the off road stuff, which you'd expect to be compromised by the EV drivetrain, but which has actually been improved by it. What about all those differential locks, the buttons for which festoon the dash of an ordinary G-Class? Well this G 580 gets virtual differential locks that work (almost) even better. Mercedes provides an 'Off-road crawling' system amongst various electronic aids for crawling up difficult ascents and down steep slopes, or you can turn them off and take full control. If you're worried about wading depth, it's 850mm, 150mm more than the combustion models. As for running out of charge in the wilderness, well the definitive G-Wagon testing route, the famous Schokl Pass, can apparently be tackled fourteen times by a G 580 before it runs out of battery. A G 63 would be able to do it only six times before needing fresh replenishment of super unleaded. One big downside for some potential owners will be the fact that this G 580 isn't recommended for towing. And its payload is just 415kg. Still stuff to work on then.

Design and Build

It's extremely difficult to tell this full-electric G-Class apart from the equivalent diesel combustion version. Even the changes Mercedes has made (a slightly raised bonnet and an enlarged vent in the door pillar) are replicated on the combustion model. For the time being, the UK market doesn't get the blanked-off grille plate that features on Euro-spec models either. Of more interest are the changes you can't see. The chassis is still of the ladder-type that's characteristic to a G-Wagen, but three of its eight cross-beams have been removed to make way for a battery pack covers the entire under-cabin area. This pack has the same number of cells as the one in the EQS SUV, but here the narrowness of the ladder frame means the cells have to be double-stacked, which has required the creation of a clever triple-layered cooling system. The whole thing sits in a tough aluminium housing that's effectively an integral part of the structure of the chassis and is protected by a flat carbon-composite bash plate. The suspension is essentially the same as an ordinary G-Class (so a form of rigid axle at the rear) but has obviously had to be adapted to work with the electric motors. But Mercedes doesn't want you to have to get your head around any of this, so the cabin, just like the exterior, looks at first glance just like that of any other G-Class. On closer inspection, a model loyalist would quickly note that the usual differential lock switches on the fascia have been replaced by a new off-road control panel, with a button for the 'G TURN' function and some bespoke switches that can spring up screens for things like wheel articulation and angle of lean on the 12.3-inch central MBUX monitor above. There's a similarly-sized display for the driving instruments. As usual with a G-Class, the cabin feels a good deal smaller than the exterior dimensions suggest it will be, particularly at the back; the usual downside of the retro-boxy styling. And the doors still often take a couple of slams to shut, though keyless entry is now included. Out back, boot space has fallen over the combustion model and the 555-litre space is tall and quite short, so as with the batteries in the ladder frame, you'll have to stack your stuff. There's no extra 'frunk' space up front as the space freed up beneath the bonnet is filled with various bits of the electrical drivetrain.

Market and Model

Mercedes is selling as many G580s globally as it can make, so isn't inclined to be generous with pricing or to offer affordable trim levels. So there's just one full-specced 'AMG Line Premium Plus' G580 with EQ Technology model available priced at nearly £155,000. To give you some perspective, at the time of this G-Wagen's introduction, the top combustion version, the diesel G500, cost around £146,000, while the petrol V8 Mercedes-AMG G 63 cost from around £185,000. For reference, the most obvious Mercedes alternative, the EQS SUV, cost from around £130,000 in standard for or from around £200,000 in Mercedes-Maybach guise. If it's the G580 you still want, then you won't want for kit with 'Edition One' spec. this includes 20-inch AMG wheels with blue calipers, silver running boards, a 'Night' styling package, nappa leather upholstery and keyless entry. Plus Multibeam LED headlights, 64-colour ambient lighting, powered front seat adjustment, metallic paint and a dashcam. A 'Driving assistance Package' provides all the usual camera safety features. And the G580 comes with all the EQ Technology features we detailed for you in our 'Driving' section - 'G TURN', 'G STEERING', 'G-ROAR', an 'Off-road crawling' system and 'ELECTRIC DYNAMIC SELECT' driving modes.

Cost of Ownership

The 116kWh battery pack can rapid charge at up to 200kW to provide a 10 to 80% DC charge in 32 minutes. If you're able to 3-phase charge at 11kW, a 10-100% spell of battery replenishment would take nearly 12 hours. So with a more typical 7.4kW wallbox, you're not going to be able to do a full charge in anything approaching an overnight spell. Efficiency is quoted at 2.05-2.24 miles-per-kWh in creation of the official 270 to 294 mile EV range figure that's severely hobbled by the prodigious 3,085kg kerb weight. To help maximise this, sometimes the front wheels will apparently disconnect from the electric motors to cut consumption. You'll need to do your bit too as a driver; there are three levels of regenerative braking operated by paddles behind the steering wheel. Service intervals for this G 580 will depend on how far you drive and under what conditions - but Mercedes does offer 'ServiceCare', which allows you to spread your bills into manageable payments, guarantees the price of parts and labour for up to four services, and covers the cost of recommended service items such as brake fluid, cabin filters and screen wash. Another thing we'll need to tell you is that the comprehensive three year unlimited mileage warranty is built upon by Mercedes' Mobilo scheme which delivers breakdown cover for up to thirty years, as long as you continue to have your car serviced at a Mercedes main dealer.

Summary

There's nothing rational about choosing this electric G-Class, but then there's never been anything very rational about buying any sort of G-Wagen, yet here it still is, set for an all-new era. You could complain about the price, the running costs, the lack of interior space or the road noise. But you'd be missing the uniqueness that still makes this car the global draw it is. In this electric form, quite astounding feats of technology have been performed to mix old with new, ruggedness with efficiency. And the result is bold and forward-thinking, while still appropriately recognising nearly half a century of model heritage. It's always been difficult to find a decent rival for a G-Wagen. It's even more difficult here. Which is precisely why you might want one.