CES 2024: Mercedes-Benz shows prototype of electric Geländewagen

Mercedes-Benz has already shown sketches and videos of a new model of the car, which is called the EQG. This electric variant of the famous Geländewagen (G-Klasse) is the realization of a long-standing idea of the German automaker. A pre-production version of the car in light camouflage was unveiled at CES 2024.

The Mercedes-Benz EQG is due to debut by the end of this year, and a key factor in the ability to get it into mass production should be the availability of Sila anodes with higher silicon content, which would allow for a traction battery that’s capacious enough to be built without being too heavy or bulky.

Silicon anodes should be available, but not too heavy.

The older SUV will be equipped with four electric motors — one for each of its wheels. This will allow it to perform a “tank turn,” turning 180 degrees on the spot by spinning the wheels in opposite directions, which will be especially useful on loose pavement. A demonstration of the prototype’s capabilities can be seen in the accompanying video, in this case the vehicles are spinning on wet asphalt, not snow or sand.

The electric variant of the legendary SUV will have a distinctive “square” spare tire cover at the rear, though it’s not yet clear if it will have a full-size wheel. The possibility of a spare tire is related to the placement of the traction battery — some electric vehicles lack one due to lack of trunk space, but if it is mounted on the rear swinging door, keeping a spare tire will be possible. The front fascia grille will retain two narrow slots on each side of the corporate logo to emphasize the stylistic affinity with the traditional G-Klasse. The company has not made significant changes to the body shape to improve aerodynamics, although this is of particular importance for electric cars in terms of range and economy.

The car will likely be available in a two-motor version, but all-wheel drive will be offered in all trims. At this point, it’s impossible to say with certainty whether the production model will receive the EQG designation, which corresponds to Mercedes-Benz’s new electric vehicle naming system. At CES 2024, the sample carried the license plate “G-Class Prototype”. It is reported that the EQ combination in Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle designations may be abolished. The video also allows us to see the readable “G” lettering on the roofs of the prototypes, which is used to demonstrate the powertrain capabilities. A further model name will likely be chosen closer to the official announcement of the production version, but it’s clear that Mercedes-Benz will have a hard time abandoning the model’s heritage. The car won’t go on sale until 2025 at the earliest, so it’s too early to talk about specs and pricing.

The car will not go on sale until 2025 at the earliest.