Mercedes-Benz G 580 EV: G-turn, G-steering and more EQ tech explained

We take a close look at all the new-age EV tech on the old-school G-Wagen.

Published On May 15, 2024 08:00:00 AM

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At first glance, the new electric Mercedes G-Class does not appear much different from the combustion-engined G-Class. It looks just the same, apart from the grille and some aero enhancements like the vent on the rear fender and other aero tweaks that drastically reduce the drag coefficient from 0.48Cd for the regular G to 0.44 for this one.

On closer examination, the headlights are different and while the prototype of this car was earlier known as the EQG, the nomenclature has been changed to G 580 with EQ tech. This is because it fundamentally is a G-Class powered by electric motors. And with more future electrics from Merc likely to be a part of the range, rather than all new models, this change in nomenclature is the first.

Mercedes G 580 EQ Tech explained

While it may look familiar, under the skin this is one of the most radical and technologically advanced EVs. First up, it has a four-motor setup. This helps it execute the now famous ‘G-turn’, where differential torque (forward on the left of the car and back on the right) is used to spin the car around its own axis. Then there’s the feature called G-Steering, where the inside rear wheel is locked to take tighter turns off-road. There’s even a low range (something EVs don’t normally need).

In addition, the 116kWh battery, shared with the EQS, is placed in two layers between the narrow ladder frame. The battery gets three layers of cooling and while this electric version weighs in excess of three tonnes, it makes 587hp and 1,164Nm of torque. The new electric G is so good off-road, insiders say it’s better than the regular ICE-equipped G.

We spoke with Markus Schafer, Chief Technology Officer, Member of the board, Mercedes-Benz, on the new-age EV tech on the old-school G-Wagen.

There’s a lot of new and interesting tech in this new electric G-wagen, such as the G-turn.

Yes, this is a first for Mercedes and one of the first in the industry. And it’s a cool feature, absolutely. It spins the car by at least 360 degrees once you engage it, and this is on a whole new level when you go off-road.

It’s executed with differential turning and four motors; tell us how that works.

The car has four different electric motors placed close to each wheel, and they can be controlled individually by software. So, you can do almost anything with this car in terms of manoeuvring. Of course, that’s off-road, but what we have shown is that you can also do this on tarmac or a driving surface.

Markus Schafer, Chief Technology Officer, with the Mercedes G 580.

You also have a new thing called G-Steering. Tell us how that works.

Sometimes when you have to manoeuvre off-road and have a very sharp corner to negotiate, it becomes really tricky. The vehicle just can’t turn so tight. So, what our engineers have done is make a system where we lock the rear inside wheel, and this causes the SUV to pivot around this fixed point and make impossibly tight turns.

These special manoeuvres are done by pressing a button on the dash where traditionally you’d have the three differential lock buttons on the ICE cars.

Yes, we’ve configured them for easy access. To engage the system all you have to do is just push a button, and in the case of the G-turn, pull on one of the paddles to choose a direction.

Off-road modes, including the button for the G-turn, are easily accessible on the dashboard.

This version comes with a massive battery that is also pretty unique. Will it be available with other battery capacities?

This 4x4 comes with one battery size, 116 kWh. What makes it unique is that it has a special cooling function and extra [underbody] protection for the battery. Controlling the temperature is very important, especially when you climb up hills. To enable us to do that we have three layers of cooling, between the two-layer battery.

This SUV was earlier called the EQG. What made you change the name to G580 with EQ tech?

Well, we have to go back to what we initially had, because, you know, sooner or later, every car will be electric. So, we will go back to A, B, E-Class, C-Class; and in this case, G.

How would you compare the two Gs, the combustion engine cars and the EV?

Well, both these cars are really fun off-road, and I’ve tested them back-to-back in the Austrian Alps. The EV is surprisingly the more capable of the two and is also extremely efficient off-road. This one is also better because it basically can do more with the extra torque and then it comes with all the new features, including G-Crawl. And that’s exactly what software can do today; individually control all four motors.

You also have a special sound called G-Roar.

G-Roar is a synthetic sound that replaces the natural sound of the combustion engine. Sure, it is not as nice and does not have the same energy as a combustion engine car. But in its place, this is the next best thing, and what we can do with artificial sound is control the level. It can be silent and you can also alter the emotion by altering the type of sound. Most people that sampled it really liked it.

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Mercedes-Benz G 580 EV walkaround video