“Off road, it is less about the overall range and more about driving hours. We’ve seen some incredible figures during testing,” he said.
To protect the battery in extreme off-road driving conditions, it is housed within a sturdy sealed case that enables the electric G-Class to wade through deep water. The steel casing also receives an additional layer of carbonfibre-reinforced polymer compound to protect against rock strikes and other impacts.
“The outer layer is made of an extremely resilient material that is designed to protect the battery at all times,” said Schiller.
One advantage of mounting the battery within the floor is the model’s centre of gravity, which is described as being considerably lower than that of the ICE G-Class. It comes at the cost of weight, though.
“Weight is a challenge – as it is in any electric vehicle,” said Schiller. “We haven’t got a final figure yet but it is below 3500kg.”
Underneath, a double-wishbone front and trailing arm rear suspension uses similar linkage points to ICE G-Class models.
Mercedes-Benz is not prepared to talk too much about factors such as ground clearance or approach, departure and break over angles just yet, though Schiller suggests the electric G-Class will not only match diesel- and petrol-powered G-Class models in off-road conditions but also, in certain situations, outperform them.
Despite the car’s ability to provide selective drive to each wheel, though, it appears prospective owners will have to forgo towing. “It is an absolute killer for the range, said Schiller. “We’re not sure at this stage if it will be offered on initial generation.”
First ride: Mercedes-Benz EQG prototype
If Mercedes-Benz was at all concerned about the ability of the priceless prototype its G-Class engineering team had brought to a secret testing ground near Toulouse in France, it wasn’t showing.
