Mercedes-Benz admits its G-Class EV is a "complete flop"
The first all-electric version of one of Mercedes-Benz's most iconic models reportedly isn't selling well.
Launched last week in Australia, the Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology, as the G-Class electric vehicle (EV) is called, was revealed in 2024 as the production version of the 2021 EQG concept.
While the G-Class (often referred to as the G-Wagen or Geländewagen) has long been a favourite of celebrities, for many years it's also been inextricably linked with the V8 engine under the bonnet of the brawny Mercedes-AMG G63, which costs a cool $365,900 before on-road costs.
The move to electric power in the lengthily named G580 with EQ Technology has reportedly not only been met with a collective yawn from consumers, despite its significantly lower starting price ($249,000 in Australia), but could also impact the German automaker's future product plans.
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'The car is sitting like lead at dealers; it's a complete flop,' an unnamed Mercedes-Benz executive told German business newspaper Handelsblatt.
'People want a real G-Class – with six or eight cylinders,' reads another quote from an anonymous source.
Another insider had a more glass-half-full explanation, telling the media outlet: 'It's a niche model; production numbers are very low.'
According to the German publication, Mercedes-Benz is now considering launching the upcoming 'little G' – a smaller SUV with similarly boxy styling – with a petrol engine instead of offering it exclusively with electric power.
This model is due for launch in 2027.
This bad publicity over weak demand for the G-Class EV follows the response to the plug-in hybrid Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance, which has been dogged by reports of weak demand and heavy discounting in markets like Germany, as well as repeated rumours of a return to V8 power (or at least the adoption of a turbocharged inline six) for AMG's arch-rival to the BMW M3.
Unlike the C63, in which a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain completely replaced a twin-turbo V8, Mercedes-Benz's electric G-Wagen didn't come at the expense of much-loved combustion-powered variants of the legendary off-road wagon.
To that end, Mercedes-Benz can adjust its production mix to match buyer demand.
'Mercedes-Benz is prepared for all market scenarios. Into the 2030s, we can flexibly offer vehicles with both a fully electric drivetrain or an electrified high-tech combustion engine,' a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told Motor1.
'Our customers decide what suits them best. This applies also for the G-Class.'
This year to the end of May, Mercedes-Benz has delivered 23 examples of the newly-released G-Class EV in Australia, compared to 133 combustion-powered variants in the same period.
According to Handelsblatt, Mercedes-Benz had sold 1450 G-Class EVs worldwide to the end of April, against around 9700 petrol and diesel G-Class vehicles.
Despite this, a spokesperson told the publication '[we are] on target with our sales figures'.
And despite its high-tech powertrain, the electric G-Class is cheaper than both the combustion-powered G450d and G500 in Germany, though it also lacks a towbar option and has a maximum payload of only 415kg.
But Mercedes-Benz hasn't offered a non-AMG, non-electric G-Class in Australia since it dropped the G400d in 2022, hence the $115,000-plus price gap between the G580 and G63 here.
Powering the G580 are four electric motors capable of producing up to 432kW and 1164Nm, propelling the circa-3000kg SUV from 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds, and allowing it to perform 'tank turns' on the spot.
A huge 116kWh battery supplies power to the blocky EV, which has a claimed driving range of 473km on the WLTP test cycle.
The twin-turbo V8-powered G63 AMG, in contrast, produces 430kW and 850Nm. It's good for a 0-100km/h time of 4.4 seconds, thanks in large part to weighing around 400kg less than the electric model.
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