(Credit: Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes today revealed an electric G-Class, an iconic status symbol with high-powered performance. But it doesn't feature the next-generation silicon battery technology the brand promised would arrive by mid-decade.
Mercedes has a partnership with Sila, which makes silicon battery materials. Sila says its technology boosts EV range by 20-40% while bringing charge times closer to that of fueling a gas vehicle. Early tests of silicon batteries in the Mercedes G-Class show a 20% range boost.
Even though "mid-decade" is technically 2025, or the model year of the G-Class, consumers will have to wait a little longer to get it. A Mercedes spokesperson tells PCMag that "the electric G-Class will introduce this battery technology in the next few years."
(Credit: Mercedes-Benz)For now, the EV G-Wagen—known officially as the 2025 G 580 with EQ Technology—is built on the same battery module as the EQS. It offers similar charge times as its competitors, at 32 minutes on a level 3 station or 13.5 hours on a level 2 home charger.
Mercedes did not confirm the range or price on the spec sheet. Those will come closer to its dealer debut near the end of 2024, but we can expect it to start around $150,000 to $200,000 with a 250- to 300-mile range.
Even without next-gen battery tech, the zero-emissions off-roader is poised to become the ultimate electric status symbol, competing with the Cybertruck. "It’s like the Birkin bag of Mercedes,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius told The Verge in 2022.
At the reveal party, celebrities like Tracee Ellis Ross, Trevor Noah, Ciara, Kendall Jenner, Bradley Cooper, and others were the first to see the vehicle while hip-hop star Travis Scott played a "surprise" set.
(Credit: Mercedes-Benz)The EV G-Wagen also offers greater performance than its gas-powered counterparts, the G 550 and AMG G63, both of which will get a refresh for the 2025 model year. Four motors, one on each wheel, achieve an impressive 859 lb-ft of torque (up from 627 on the AMG version) and 579 horsepower (compared with 577 on the AMG).
The name G-Wagen "takes its name from Geländewagen meaning off-road vehicle," Mercedes says. The vehicle can climb "up to a 100% grade on suitable surfaces" and ford water up to 33.5 inches, 5.9 inches more than the gas-powered G 550 and AMG G63. It can "rotate on the spot" thanks to its G-Turn technology, performing up to two complete turns in either direction, with a tight turn radius when driving off-road thanks to G-Steering.
For some extra flare, Mercedes gave the silent EV its proprietary G-Roar sound.