Mercedes G 580 EQ: The Electric SUV shines in the Arctic Circle

The air is not icy during the last admission in the Arctic Circle the thermometer “only” shows between ten and plus two degrees. But the condition of the road suits the concept of engineers perfectly. Sometimes ice without gravel, sometimes ice and sand, sometimes packed snow and sometimes a mix of everything plus asphalt. This is a good way to show how the relevant road conditions are not important for the models, which weigh 3.5 tons and are largely covered in black and blue tape.

A freestyle program on a frozen lake near Arjeplog in Sweden proves that the limits of physics are not completely rigid, but somewhat fluid. At least if the person behind the wheel manages his work like the engineers in the test team in the G 580 EQ. That’s the real name of the electric G-Class and not EQG, as previously announced.

Press a few buttons and the electric isolator turns into a maxi top that rotates in place. It looks attractive from the outside, it feels good in the front seats, but it takes time to get used to the back seats. This trick is possible because the G 580 EQ has four motors, one for each wheel. Together with sophisticated and sophisticated software, this results in a level of sensitivity under all road and terrain conditions that has never been achieved before.

The electric G can do everything its combustion engine siblings can do. But he adds much more. Because each motor is controlled independently and transmits the appropriate torque to the bike in milliseconds, a large electric vehicle can tackle many off-road challenges. Despite its battery of more than 100 kWh in the ground, the G 580 EQ is not afraid of rocks at all, thanks to the stable base plate with a lot of carbon. Even crossing the water is no problem.

Of course, the electric car should not hide behind the combustion engine versions in terms of performance. The electric motors produce a combined output of 430 kW/585 hp, which, together with a system torque of more than 1100 Nm, enables perfectly matched performance.

However, Mercedes still reserves the data for acceleration and top speed under closed doors. And promise a surprise: In addition to the G-Turns activation button, there is something else to discover. This should result in a function that is at least interesting.