Mercedes-Benz has been testing cars for a special electric version of its G-Class, called the EQG. It is expected to be released in late 2020 or early 2021.
In 2019, Mercedes’s CEO Ola Källenius said they considered not making an electric G-Class at all but decided that the last Mercedes they create should be the famous off-roader.
In 2021, the car company made something similar to the production model for people to try. It was named “EQG” and featured a body-on-frame layout—just like the regular G-Class car. The batteries were also stored inside this frame.
The new Mercedes EQG has an electric motor that can spin each wheel individually, and it also has a special two-speed driving gear for when you use it to drive on rougher terrain. And according to Mercedes, the EQG is just as capable of going in really tough terrain like huge hills or mountains, even if they are a full 100% grade.
The new EQG will have some cool features, like being able to rotate around on the spot. Mercedes calls this move the G-Turn. On the outside, it looks like there is an illuminated panel instead of a grille – and this design might be seen in real production models since we’ve seen masked up grilles during testing.
The concept that Mercedes is working on production has a special back storage box, which can be seen from their prototypes. It takes the place of where a spare wheel used to be, and it’s likely for storing charging equipment.
Mercedes hasn’t shared how long you can travel in the car with its battery, but they said that its high-silicon anode material increases the energy density.
An Austrian company called Kreisel offers an electric makeover of the G-Class car, which earlier used to run only on gas. As part of this transformation, its battery size is increased to 80 kWh and two electric motors are added at its axles (one in each side) – giving it a combined power output of 482 hp. One of its first customers was none other than actor Arnold Schwarzenegger!