5 Coolest Features Of The 2025 Mercedes-Benz Electric G-Class

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the first-ever electric G-Class, and there are three things you should know straight off the bat. The first is that Mercedes fooled everyone into thinking that it would be called the EQG, but it has gone against its own awkward naming convention and called it the Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology. Thankfully, Mercedes chose not to put the entire name on the rear of the car. Secondly, this is not a Hollywood cruiser that will replace the Model S as the ultimate virtue-signaling tool. It’s a serious off-roader with loads of tricks at its disposal. Third, it’s styled like a normal G-Class, which is another positive move away from Merc’s existing EV strategy.

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Table of Contents

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Here’s Why The Future Of Off-Roading Is Electric

They’re better suited to 4×4 activities, and better for nature.

Those are just the basics, not even covering the coolest things about this car. To do that, we need to do a deep dive into one of the most controversial cars ever made. It’s fine to build a new EV off-roader like the Rivian R1S from scratch, but the G-Class has 45 years of heritage attached to it. But, as we’ve said before, the future of off-roading is electric, and the Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology (we’ll call it the G580 from now on if you don’t mind) might be the car to hammer that point home using these five epic features.

G580 with EQ Technology

Segment

SUV

Engine

Quad-Motor Electric

Horsepower

579 hp

Torque

859 lb-ft

Transmission

2-Speed Automatic w/Low Range

Powertrain

Electric 4-Wheel Drive

0-60 MPH

4.6 Seconds

Top Speed

112 mph (elec. limited)

5

A New Level Of Underbody Protection

The G580 uses a 116 kWh lithium-ion battery integrated into the ladder frame. This saves a lot of space and gives this off-roader an impressive center of gravity. On the downside, the most expensive and vital component of the car is much closer to water and sharp rocks than a more traditional ICE-powered off-roader. There are two layers of protection meant to protect the battery. The first is a torsion-resistant battery casing, designed to keep everything you don’t want in a battery pack on the outside.

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The second layer is the most impressive piece of underbody protection we’ve ever seen on an off-roader. Mercedes came up with what it calls an ‘intelligent material’ that includes carbon. Why not just use steel like everyone else? Well, it would have added to the weight, and very few things can get through an inch-think material made from carbon. The entire sheet only weighs 127 pounds, and it will crush any sharp rock in its path. A comparable steel panel would’ve weighed three times as much.

4

The Famous Differential Lock Buttons Are Gone

If you look at the interior of the electric G-Class, you’ll notice an obvious omission. From the beginning, the G’s differential lock buttons were placed front and center, within easy reach of the driver. These buttons controlled the front, center, and rear differential locks. The G580 doesn’t have these buttons because it uses torque vectoring to create virtual differential locks. Because each wheel has its own electric motor that can be individually operated, the car has more control over the power it distributes to whatever wheel than ever before, and everything is done automatically.

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Many hardcore off-roaders will scoff at the idea, but it’s a sublime modern solution for two reasons. The first is a reduction in mechanical complexity. You don’t have to worry about the differentials because they aren’t there, and the motors are better protected because they’re bolted higher up on the robust ladder frame. The second reason is agility. If you lock a differential, the two wheels on an axle can no longer move at different speeds. Therefore, they’re forced to move at the same speed, which has a huge impact on the turning radius as the two wheels have vastly different paths to travel.

The G580 doesn’t have that problem because its motors act independently at all times while being able to accurately mimic a differential lock when needed. This is what it means to use electric powertrains to the max.

3

Loads Of New Toys Named G

The virtual differential locks are the biggest benefit of having a quad-motor setup, but Merc’s engineers also put some fun into the car with G-Turn, G-Steering, and G-Roar:

• G-Turn is Mercedes marketing speak for a tank turn, which is a standard feature in any respectable electric off-roader. Basically, the G580 can rotate twice on the spot by moving the wheels on the left and right sides of the car in opposite directions. Why only twice? We suspect it’s a built-in safety feature that protects owners from themselves.

• G-Steering eliminates the need to do three- to five-point turns on a tricky off-road track. Anyone who has ever driven an off-roader with a long wheelbase will love this feature. The G580 can reduce its turning radius by controlling the torque output at each wheel based on the position of the inside rear wheel. Basically, it can even lock the inner rear wheel and pivot around it in a similar fashion to Ford’s Trail Turn Assist on the Bronco.
• G-Roar was designed so G63 owners wouldn’t miss the defining feature of their cars too much. The G580 has interior and exterior speakers that can play sounds inspired by the G-Class family’s combustion engine sounds. Since the car is so linked to the V8, expect deep, bassy tones. The volume and intensity of the sounds align with the driving mode, so you’ll get less in Comfort Mode and the full-fat AMG V8 sound in Sport Mode.

2

Impressive Off-Road Figures

Mercedes says the G580 will climb up a 100 percent grade (45 degrees) on the right surface, though few will be brave enough to test that out, and the same goes for the 35-degree lateral angle.

The figures above aren’t quite in the same league as the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon or the Ford Bronco Raptor, but that doesn’t matter. These figures are impressive enough for the kind of person who wants to go off-roading without breaking their car. It’s not a car that will do the kind of off-roading they teach at Ranger Raptor school. The average owner is more likely to go out and enjoy silent off-roading, which everyone should try at least once. The pièce de résistance is 33.5 inches of water fording depth, as much a 5.9 inches more than the ICE G-Class in its non 4×4 Squared forms.

1

It’s The First EV Off-Roader With Low Range

One of the main reasons we like electric off-roaders is that there’s no need for a transfer case. With huge amounts of torque available in an instant, it’s simply not necessary. On the flip side, having that much power available in an instant can also be a curse. Imagine wanting to crawl along at one mph, but it’s impossible because the car always wants to leap forward. Enter Merc’s new version of low-range, which is made possible with each axle being equipped with two motors, two transmissions, and a double inverter in a shared housing. It’s an entirely new way of understanding 4WD.

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This makes it possible to engage a gear reduction ratio of 2:1 and a change in the driving characteristics to keep you from launching yourself over a boulder. As if that’s not enough, Mercedes included three low-range modes, which is a world first. You control the status using the shift paddles. In Slow Crawl, the vehicle will maintain a speed of 1 mph. Variable Crawl maintains walking speed, while Fast Crawl maintains a speed of 5 mph on uphill and level terrain.