Electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class to be revealed on 24 April

Based on the latest iteration of the G-Class – codenamed and known within Mercedes-Benz engineering circles as W463 – it builds off a modified version of the steel ladder-frame chassis used by internal-combustion-engine (ICE) models, alongside which it will be produced at long-time partner Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.

Early road-going prototypes confirm it will retain the same characteristic square-rigged exterior styling as other existing G-Class models. Although disguised, they feature standard body panels together with a number of small but unique details, as hinted at on the earlier concept, including a new-look front bumper and a blanked-off grille.

“We have two skateboards with the same hat on top,” said Schiller, in reference to the ladder-frame chassis and familiar G-Class styling. “As with the internal-combustion-engine models, the body is connected to the ladder frame at eight points.”

Like Mercedes-Benz’s other EQ models, there is no front luggage compartment or 'frunk'. The charging cable will be able to be stowed in a lockable box similar to that previewed by the concept, mounted in the place traditionally taken by the spare tyre on the sideways-opening tailgate.

At the centre of the EQG’s technical development is a new electric drivetrain consisting of four electric motors – one powering each individual wheel. Unique among Mercedes-Benz’s current line-up of EQ models, it mirrors that of the SLS E-Cell produced by Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance car division in limited volumes in 2013.

The four-motor layout, also used by US electric vehicle start-up Rivian for its R1 SUV and pick-up, is aimed at providing the EQG with what Schiller describes as an unrivalled combination of off-road performance and refined on-road qualities.

Donuts-on-demand.@MercedesBenz's upcoming EQG gets four electric motors and a 'G-Turn' function that sees it spin on the spot.Steering wheel paddles let the driver decide if it turns left or right as the throttle is planted.First prototype ride for me. Shaken and stirred. pic.twitter.com/GjoUv8XTQ1

— Greg Kable (@GregKable) November 21, 2022

“There were intensive discussions surrounding the four-motor layout. It is incredibly complex. It is also very expensive. But with two electric motors you have differential locks, which means a combination of electronic and mechanical systems. With three motors – one up front and two on the rear axle, you don’t get the full performance in off-road conditions,” he said.

Mercedes-Benz is holding back on disclosing power and torque figures for its latest electric model. However, Schiller hints there will be varying models with differing outputs, including an AMG flagship claimed to provide a level of on-road performance, including straight-line acceleration, to match the existing 577bhp twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol-powered Mercedes-AMG G63 4Matic.

The front electric motors are mounted low at each side within the axle. The rear electric motors are integrated more inboard within a newly developed de Dion-style rear axle conceived specifically for the electric G-Class and chosen to provide “good traction and flexibility of the suspension”.

Each electric motor is able to provide individual drive to each wheel through a mechanical two-speed gearbox, offering both high and low-range gearing.

Together with traditional on-road driving modes (Eco, Comfort and Sport), the new G-Class will offer three off-road modes – Trail, Rock and Sand. An additional creeper mode allows the driver to set a pre-determined speed in off-road driving.

To facilitate off-road performance, the four electric motors are also able to simulate the three locking differentials (one in each axle, and one in the transfer case) of ICE G-Class models. In extreme conditions, the collective drive can be channelled to a single wheel to retain traction and ensure progress.

Schiller cites throttle dosing among the primary advantages of the four-motor layout. “It is incredibly precise. The individual control of drive to each wheel provides a whole new level of ability. We have even more possibilities off road. It is really fun every four weeks to drive the latest prototypes. I think we have the best electric off-roader,” he said.

Additionally, a so-called G-Turn function, activated by a dashboard-mounted button, makes the electric motors on one side turn the wheels forward and those on the opposite side turn the wheels in reverse, allowing the EQG to perform spectacular, on-the-spot 360deg tank turns. The driver can select whether to turn left or right via shift paddles on the steering wheel.

Compact packaging of the front electric motors within the front axle permits a greater turning angle for the front wheels, leading to a turning circle that is described as being “considerably better” than that of other ICE G-Class models.

The new driveline is allied to a battery mounted within the floor and beneath the rear seat. The lithium ion unit, with a usable energy capacity that Mercedes-Benz puts at "around 100kWh", shares its cell technology with that previewed by the EQXX concept. A new silicon anode is claimed to boost energy density and efficiency beyond that of the battery used by the newly unveiled EQE and EQS SUVs, while also providing a reduction in weight and overall size.

As in other Mercedes-Benz EQ models, a regeneration system allows the harvesting of kinetic energy in three different steps – D+, D and D-.

Schiller says it is too early in the development process to make claims about range but the four electric motor layout provides the scope for significant energy regeneration, both in on-road and off-road driving.

“Off road, it is less about the overall range and more about driving hours. We’ve seen some incredible figures during testing,” he said.

To protect the battery in extreme off-road driving conditions, it is housed within a sturdy sealed case that enables the electric G-Class to wade through deep water. The steel casing also receives an additional layer of carbonfibre-reinforced polymer compound to protect against rock strikes and other impacts.

“The outer layer is made of an extremely resilient material that is designed to protect the battery at all times,” said Schiller.

One advantage of mounting the battery within the floor is the model's centre of gravity, which is described as being considerably lower than that of the ICE G-Class. It comes at the cost of weight, though.

“Weight is a challenge – as it is in any electric vehicle,” said Schiller. “We haven’t got a final figure yet but it is below 3500kg.”

Underneath, a double-wishbone front and trailing arm rear suspension uses similar linkage points to ICE G-Class models.

Mercedes-Benz is not prepared to talk too much about factors such as ground clearance or approach, departure and break over angles just yet, though Schiller suggests the electric G-Class will not only match diesel- and petrol-powered G-Class models in off-road conditions but also, in certain situations, outperform them.

Despite the car’s ability to provide selective drive to each wheel, though, it appears prospective owners will have to forgo towing. “It is an absolute killer for the range, said Schiller. “We’re not sure at this stage if it will be offered on initial generation."

First ride: Mercedes-Benz EQG prototype

If Mercedes-Benz was at all concerned about the ability of the priceless prototype its G-Class engineering team had brought to a secret testing ground near Toulouse in France, it wasn’t showing.

Straight from a technical presentation, we’re sat in the passenger seat and whisked into the throes of an early validation test for the new electric G-Class.

Rarely does a car maker allow us such early access to a new model. But here, just over a year after it was shown as a concept, we’re getting a first-hand look at what it will be like when it goes on sale in 2024.  Open gravel roads, where the new Mercedes-Benz makes light work of the conditions at higher speeds, soon give way to narrow trails strewn with redish-brown earth, loose rocks and, in more extreme sections, large exposed boulders.

We’re in the sort of territory that only a handful of series-production off-roaders are ever likely to venture, progressing at little more than walking pace up a 45deg incline in what Mercedes-Benz dubs creeper mode as the prototype’s four electric motors smoothly deliver drive to each individual wheel via a two-speed gearbox with low-range gearing.

There is no electrical whirring as the drive is sent to each wheel. Nor is there any electrical noise as the traction control system attempt to keep up. Merely the sound of rocks beneath the tyres and stones being sent against the inside of the wheelhouses - and with it a whole new sense of the surrounding nature.

The drivetrain refinement is more high-end limousine than extreme off-roader, giving the electric G-Class a luxurious air from within.

Patience is required over many sections of our route. At some points, we balance precariously on three wheels, see-sawing off the ground. At others, the prototype crawls up steep rocky trails like a spider up a wall.

The ability of the 4x4 to continue on with commanding traction despite the treacherous conditions confirms it is already at a well-advanced state of development and, so it seems, every bit as capable as its diesel and petrol siblings away from the bitumen.

A new in-house-developed electronics system allows the electric motors to simulate the three locking differentials of other combustion-engine G-class models, enabling them to provide selective drive to the wheel with the most traction.

At one point, the CEO of the German car maker’s newly created G-Class sub-brand, Emmerich Schilling, delicately guides the G-Class over a rocky crag. The drop is formidable. But such is the axle articulation and breadth of spring travel that we are somehow able to continue without pausing.

Before we reach the safety of the road below, though, there’s a significant rock strike against the underbody, which sends a shudder through the entire body. “It is in situations like these that we developed a new outer material for the battery casing. I would be worried right now if we just had a steel casing,” he says.

The off-road agility is quite remarkable, aided by a smaller turning circle than that of existing G-Class models. The elevated seating, upright windscreen and sheer side glass, all elements of the G-Class since its inception in 1979, also provide outstanding visibility when the going gets rough.

Later, over wide and winding roads covered in sand, we reach speeds in excess of 80mph. Here, the EQG’s sophisticated air suspension does a superb job, absorbing bumps and undulations quickly and helping to minimise roll angles.

Near the end of the test, Schilling stops the EQG prototype in an open section of gravel, presses a button on the otherwise disguised dashboard and pulls on the left-hand side steering wheel paddle. “This is what we call the G-Turn,” he says as he plants the throttle and we are sent spinning on the spot. It is made possible by driving the electric motors on one side forward and those on the other side in reverse, allowing the electric G-Class to turn within its own length.