2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology is an Electric Icon

It's finally here: the all-electric Geländewagen ushers in a new era for Mercedes' off-road icon.

Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday revealed the 2025 G 580 with EQ Technology. If that name seems strange to you, allow us to make it simpler: this is an EQG by another name, representing the long-teased fully electric version of Mercedes' venerable off-roader.

New electric naming convention aside, the G 580 EQ, as I will henceforth call it for my own sanity, does bring a whole lot of newness to the EV world. It's the first Merc to feature an electric motor at each wheel, making it a particularly adaptable sort of all-wheel drive. Each motor produces just slightly less than 145 horsepower, for a resulting total of 579 hp and a huge 859 pound-feet of torque.

A lithium-ion battery pack with 116 kilowatt-hours of usable capacity is integrated into the ladder frame, while suspension duty is handled by double wishbones up front and a solid rear axle out back. Adaptive dampers are also standard. Charging is capped to 200 kW on DC fast chargers, but that should still be good for 10 to 80 percent in a little over half an hour, according to Mercedes.

Mercedes touts a "torsion-resistant casing" for the big battery pack, not to mention carbon-reinforced underbody protection panels. The casing is said to be waterproof too, and for good reason: with 850 mm (33.5 inches) of wading depth, the G 580 EQ cross a river roughly six inches deeper than the gas-only models. The approach, departure, and breakover angles are 32.0, 30.7, and 20.3 degrees respectively, but that's just to start. On what Merc calls "suitable surfaces," this EV G will clamber up a 45-degree angle.

There's still a low-range transfer for increased torque, and in place of traditional locking diffs, the four-motor setup can simulate the actions via precise torque vectoring. Other new additions include G-Turn, which allows the G to piroutte on the spot; G-Roar, which Merc is calling a unique and selectable sound experience; and G-Steering which "can deliver a significantly smaller turning circle when driving off-road." Drivers can hold one of the wheel-mounted paddles to quickly rotate in that direction—but only twice before G-Steering deactivates. A redesigned off-road section of the infotainment provides easy access to specific features, including the 360-degree camera and "transparent hood."

Inside, it's classic G and modern Merc, all blocky volumes mixed with prodigious, customizable ambient lighting. A pair of 12.3-inch screens sit atop the dashboard, with actual physical controls below.

The G-wagen might have the aero profile of a barn, but Mercedes has tweaked the EQ model to be at least slightly more wind-cheaty. There's new A-pillar trim, a roof spoiler, raised hood, and flared rear wheel arches with integrated air curtains. The squared-off storage cubby on the tailgate, in place of a traditional wheel, can be used to carry charging cables or other such bits and bobs. Curb weight is currently unknown, but it's safe to assume it's a chunky one.

While there will inevitably be multiple trims and power levels for this uber-SUV, the G 580 EQ won't launch that way. Canadian buyers will have only the Edition One special model, which ladles on extra goodies. Expecting pricing closer to its on-sale date in the back half of 2024.

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