Out of all the cars on the road today, there is perhaps no vehicle more associated with Los Angeles than the Mercedes-Benz G-Class — that tall and boxy bank-vault of an SUV which hasn’t really changed shape or size since it was first released by Mercedes-Benz in 1979 as the Geländewagen. The first G’s were made for the trades, rescue services and the military, and Mercedes-Benz likes to tout the fact that more than 80 percent of the G’s ever made are still around on and off-roading.
This all-purpose, go-anywhere vehicle has, throughout the years, had a glow-up or two — and what 45-year-old in the limelight hasn’t. But, at Los Angeles’ Franklin Canyon Park above Beverly Hills on Tuesday, April 23, Mercedes-Benz showed off their latest iteration, one which has had G-Wagen fanatics waiting on tenterhooks: the G 580 with EQ Technology, the first all-electric G-Class model.
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In front of a star-studded crowd — that featured Bradley Cooper, Kendall Jenner, Tracee Ellis Ross, Selma Blair, Ciara, Beef‘s Joseph Lee, Madelaine Petsch, Trevor Noah, Travis Bennett and Saweetie — Travis Scott performed on top of the new G 580 on a stage floating smack-dab in the middle of Franklin Canyon Park’s lake. The bash was over the top and one party planning expert estimated that the event price tag, with appearance fees included, was in the $15-$20 million range. The car had a simultaneous unveiling at Beijing’s Auto China 2024.
When asked why the G-Wagen still remains a perennial favorite among the Hollywood set — with a long wait time to acquire one at the dealer — Michael Schiebe, CEO Mercedes-AMG and head of Mercedes-Benz G-Class & Mercedes-Maybach Business Units told The Hollywood Reporter in an exclusive interview, “I think it’s because of the DNA of the G-Wagen — it’s a very versatile car and it’s still so special. Although we have upgraded the car to go with the times, the G-Wagen has a character that is so different to what you have in the market, there’s nothing comparable with the G-Wagen and that makes it so special.”
Schiebe jokingly added, “When I said the car was made for professionals in rescue services, the trades and the military … nowadays, the G-Wagen is still for professionals but now they’re singers and actors.”
For the first ever all-electric G-Class, Schiebe explained that there “were no significant changes to the design of the car, because this is what our customers love and then it needs to have the same off-road capabilities and the same robustness — so with this, you have already defined 75 to 80 percent of the car — and then we said, let’s see what the electric drivetrain can provide in additional features so it can keep its DNA.”
That DNA — everything from the comforting sound the doors make when you slam them shut to the low-growl of the engine, the insane off-road capabilities and the fact it is built on the same ladder frame as the gas-powered G-Class — have all been kept and updated for the digital era. For example, the engine noise is now called “G-ROAR” and includes G-Class-specific driving sounds, such as an “aura” and various “event” sounds.
And instead of the series of locking differentials, the electric G-Class generates virtual differential locks via torque vectoring that enables unique driving functions for off-road use, including the meme-ready G-TURN feature, where with some minor steering wheel adjustments, the G 580 can do full 720-degree rotation.
Jonny Lieberman, senior editor at Motor Trend and a co-host of the “Spike’s Car Radio” podcast, shared his thoughts on the new edition: “Fact: 99 percent of G-Wagens never leave the pavement. Also fact, the G63 is the most environmentally unfriendly vehicle you can buy. Mercedes’ solution? Introduce a much more capable all-electric off-roader that looks almost exactly like every other G. The mean streets of Beverly Hills are about to get a lot cleaner.”
The G 580 with EQ Technology — which will hit the dealers later this year in a limited “Edition One” guise — has an estimated range of up to 290 miles thanks to the 116 kWh high-voltage, lithium-ion battery that powers the four individually controlled motors located near the wheels. Like its gas powered brethren, the G 550 and G63, which will still remain on sale, the all-electric G-Wagen has the same can-do spirit baked right in. Pricing for the electric G 580 hasn’t been announced but it won’t be inexpensive — since the G 550 starts at $143,000 and the G63 at $183,000 — or easy to get.
As for how one can obtain an all-electric G-Wagen, Schiebe shared, “I was in a meeting with some of our dealers here and they already said, ‘Michael, we need more G-Classes.’ I said yes, I’ll do my best. But in general, I think this is also what makes a G-Wagen so special, you can’t just go somewhere and just get one, since they are limited in production.”
In other words, expect it to be the newest car equivalent of a Birkin bag or the latest Rolex. Adds Schiebe, “You just have to be a very good customer and wait a little bit of time and then you will get one …”
