The purely electric G-Class won’t debut until 2024 but Mercedes engineers have implemented what they call a “G-Turn.” This allows respectable off-roaders to spin in place and therefore perform tank changes. Rivian also demonstrated it a few years ago but still doesn’t offer it in the R1T truck or R1S SUV. In the upcoming Geländewagen EV, individual wheel motors will allow it to make 360 degree turns on its own axle.
You may be wondering how the EQG knows which way it should turn the tank. Journalist Greg Kable said there was a steering wheel-mounted paddle that the driver used to select whether the maneuver was performed clockwise or counterclockwise. While the functionality will be useful on off-road trails, it seems inevitable that owners will use this on-demand donut functionality on paved roads to show off the vehicle’s party masterpiece.
This isn’t the only interesting off-road tech we’ve seen from Mercedes lately as the latest GLS makes big waves with its bouncy suspension. The E-Active Body Control feature allows a full-size luxury SUV to “jump in” and get the vehicle out of a sticky situation. Of course, the G-Class remains a true off-roader in the three-pointed star lineup, and the EQG will retain the ladder frame chassis.
An unspecified (but likely) battery pack and motor will be installed within the ladder frame in the vehicle which is estimated to weigh 6,600 pounds (about 3,000 kilograms). Fun fact – The EQG won’t be the first Mercedes EV quad-motor electric vehicle as the very rare AMG SLS Electric Drive also has a quartet of e-motors. Emmerich Schiller, CEO of the G-Class sub-brand, was involved in the development of the electric supercar that came out back in 2013.
While other technical solutions were considered, engineers ultimately decided that each electric motor would drive individual wheels to make the most of the EQG’s off-road chops and fulfill the heritage of its combustion-engined sibling. Seeing as how the electric G will be heavier and far less aerodynamic than the EQS SUV, logic tells us that the battery size will at least match the 107.8 kWh package of the unibody electric SUV. An optional high-density battery pack with silicon anode chemistry has been announced.
Additional details should be disclosed next year ahead of the expected launch of EQG in 2024.
