Today there is a holiday for lovers of everything angular, German and expensive – Mercedes-Benz has presented the long-promised electric version of the iconic Geländewagen SUV in the G 580 modification with four traction electric motors and the ability to “tank turn”. The power reserve in the American version of the press release is bashfully kept silent, and the new product cannot boast of a high carrying capacity.
Image source: Mercedes-Benz
A heavy frame electric vehicle with four electric motors weighs about 3,500 kg in running order, which allows it to formally belong to the category of passenger vehicles, but it is capable of taking on board no more than 415 kg of cargo. In fact, the cabin can accommodate five not very well-fed people, and there won’t be much left for luggage. At the same time, the traction battery is not impressive in capacity compared to some Chinese classmates – 116 kWh, according to European media, is enough for only 473 km of travel according to the conventional WLTP cycle. Considering that a heavy car does not have the most outstanding dynamics, in off-road conditions and subzero temperatures the power reserve can drop to very alarming values.
The power plant, which includes four electric motors with a reduction gear, produces a total of 579 hp. and about 1164 N‧m of torque, but the creators claim that the electric G-Klasse is in no way inferior to its gasoline predecessors in its off-road capabilities. The much-touted “tank turn” function works on soft roads when the car is in low gear. By activating the turn-in-place function, the driver can set its direction by holding the steering wheel paddle and the accelerator pedal at the same time. As soon as he releases either the pedal or the steering wheel paddle, the car will stop turning in place. You are allowed to make no more than two complete turns in a row. Mercedes-Benz representatives are convinced that the function will really help off-road, when you need to turn around in a narrow space due to an insurmountable obstacle.
The mystery of the oddly square-shaped tailgate cover was solved at the time of the announcement: it is a kind of “mounted case” for additional accessories such as a charging cable, cables, luggage nets and snow chains. Electric vehicles traditionally have trouble finding space for a full spare tire due to the large traction battery located under the floor.
Independent traction control on each wheel allows you to reduce the turning radius off-road, and not just turn around on the spot. There are also assistants already familiar to buyers of modern SUVs, such as a hill descent and ascent system, a “transparent hood”, an all-round visibility system and “off-road cruise control”. Automation allows the electric vehicle to climb 100 percent slopes if there is sufficient traction. If the downshift is implemented using mechanisms, then the differential locks of an electric machine are completely virtual, which is natural.
The traction battery contains 216 battery cells, which are distributed between 12 modules, cooled by three circuits. The traction battery housing is integrated into a ladder-type frame; the bottom of the SUV is protected from below by a composite sheet weighing 56 kg, capable of withstanding serious impacts. The tightness of the design allows the machine to overcome fords up to 850 mm deep. From the point of view of charging technology, the G-Klasse in electric version does not offer any revelations. From a household three-phase AC network, when using a standard 11 kW charger, it will charge for an endless 13.5 hours, and the power of a DC express charging station is limited to 200 kW. However, with its help, the machine can restore the charge from 10 to 80% in 32 minutes, according to the manufacturer.
The SUV can accelerate to 100 km/h in about 4.7 seconds, but the maximum speed is electronically limited to 180 km/h. A car with poor aerodynamics will lose its range catastrophically quickly at high speeds. However, the engineers did carry out optimizations that were appropriate given the stylistic continuity: special aerodynamic elements appeared in the area of the A-pillars, on the rear roof and at the rear wheel arches, and the shape of the standard wheel rims was optimized from this point of view.
There are enough “rays in the dark kingdom” in the cabin, because the atmospheric lighting with 64 shades is accompanied by two 12.3-inch monitors on the front panel, one of which replaces the dashboard. It is possible to synchronize with a smartphone using Google Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as connect various electronics via USB-C ports. The voice assistant has learned to understand more commands, and rear passengers can be entertained by two 11.6-inch displays mounted on the headrests of the front seats. The keyless entry system has long been a surprise, and the boarding and exit zones when opening the doors into a dark space are illuminated with branded logos projected onto the ground. The car can also be equipped with a built-in video recorder, which allows you to view recordings on the display of the standard multimedia system.
The acoustic system can not only please passengers, but also irritate others, since the G-Roar function imitates the sound of classic internal combustion engines, traditionally used on G-Klasse models of previous generations. However, the intensity of the external sound can be adjusted. Many events are also accompanied by sound alerts for easy feedback from the driver.
The car is also equipped with a decent set of electronic assistants. In addition to driving on highways and in the city in semi-automatic mode, they make it easier to maneuver in parking lots. The search for free parking spaces is carried out at speeds up to 35 km/h. Acoustic impact on the occupants of the cabin can be carried out even in emergency situations. Mercedes-Benz experts claim that if an accident is imminent, the car is able to emit a sound in advance, causing the muscles of the human ear canal to briefly contract to protect the middle ear from noise overload at the time of the accident. A seat belt pretensioning system is also present.
In the US, the electric Mercedes-Benz G 580 will start at $152,184, but the limited edition Edition One will be offered in the second half of this year at $205,433 for the EV with the above features.
