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Mercedes G-Class electric sales are struggling, but prices remain in the upper echelons

Mercedes admits that the G-Class, a jeep with excellent off-road capabilities, is selling well below the targets of the electric version. This is despite the brand having equipped it with a series of tricks.

The Mercedes G-Class, which was launched in 1979 as a military vehicle and which is still used today by the armies of several countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, as well as by celebrities such as the Pope, is a jeep with a characteristic shape and very little aerodynamics, but with one of the best 4×4 systems on the market. At the end of 2024, Mercedes began selling an electric version of the G-Class, equipped with four motors, one per wheel, and a series of tricks up its sleeve, to delight users who are more adept at off-roading, but sales are well below expectations.

The German publication Handlesblatt admits this failure in sales of the German jeep, after analyzing sales and speaking to sources at the brand, which sold only 1,450 units of the electric version in Europe by the end of April, to which can be added another 61 vehicles in South Korea and another 58 models in China, without having sold a single unit in the USA. Interestingly, the petrol and diesel versions are in greater demand, which means that it is not the bulky, tall and narrow aesthetics that are putting off customers from the G-Class EQ, but rather the type of mechanics.

Mercedes currently sells three versions of the G-Class with combustion engines – the G 450d, G 500 and AMG G 63 -, to which is added the G 580 EQ, the electric of the family, which has a battery with a capacity of 116 kWh (usable) and four electric motors of 147 hp, which modulated total 587 hp and 1164 Nm of torque. 

The combustion G-Class that rivals this electric version in power is the AMG G 63 (with 585 hp and 850 Nm), announcing 220 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, compared to 180 km/h and 4.7 seconds. of the G 580 EQ, but this electric version has a few additional tricks up its sleeve, starting with the ability to perform a G-Turn, which consists of being able to turn on itself (on dirt or low-grip surfaces, with the two wheels on one side turning in one direction and the others in the opposite direction), which is ideal for U-turns. 

In Portugal, the G 580 EQ is far from being an affordable jeep, offered for €148,700, but it becomes a real bargain when compared to the G 63, which requires an investment of €265,850 in Portugal. Even so, and despite this relatively favorable price positioning of the electric version, sales stubbornly fail to keep up with the manufacturer's expectations, which has even led Mercedes to change its strategy for the “baby G”, a smaller and cheaper G-Class that it is preparing. The aim now is to enable this jeep to also accept combustion engines, alongside the electric powertrains that were originally planned.

Why is the electric G-Class such a tough sell? Several factors come to mind. First, it’s substantially more expensive than the six-cylinder gasoline and diesel versions. The European model has a maximum payload of just 415 kilograms (915 pounds) and lacks a trailer hitch, making it far less practical than the ICE model. The latter has a decades-old reputation as a go-anywhere, all-purpose off-roader. It also weighs 3,085 kilograms in Europe and nearly as much at 6,746 pounds in the United States. 

Range is another weak point, though not unexpected given the vehicle’s substantial weight. The G580 with EQ Technology has an estimated range of 473 kilometers (294 miles) on the WLTP cycle, but its EPA-certified range is significantly lower at just 239 miles (385 kilometers). Handelsblatt also reports that low demand is forcing Mercedes to rethink its plans for the so-called "Little G." 

While the scaled-down version is still expected later this decade, it may not be an all-electric model as initially anticipated. Rumors suggest the smaller G could offer combustion engines to broaden its appeal. According to a company executive, a combustion version is being "looked at," while an engineer noted that the additional R&D costs would be "manageable."

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