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Is the Electric Mercedes G-Class More Capable Than the Gas G-Class?

The electric G 580 has a stated fording-depth advantage and new four-motor off-road controls, but there is no matched independent test proving it is better overall.
Entry124 Date Time4 min MechanicCarCody Team
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In some specific off-road measures, yes—but the evidence does not establish that the electric G 580 is better in every situation. Mercedes-Benz says it can ford deeper than the G 550 and AMG G 63, and its four-motor drivetrain enables wheel-by-wheel torque control plus electric-only maneuvers such as G-TURN. Those are meaningful differences, not proof of universal trail superiority: there is no matched independent test here comparing the electric and gasoline models over the same terrain.

Where the electric G-Class has a documented advantage

The clearest direct comparison is water fording. In its 2024 launch technical material, Mercedes-Benz gives the G 580 with EQ Technology a maximum fording depth of 33.5 inches—5.9 inches more than the G 550 and AMG G 63. That is a manufacturer-reported specification, not the result of a side-by-side test. Drivers should also treat a stated fording depth as a vehicle limit, not an instruction to enter water: depth, current, surface, and conditions matter.

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Mercedes also lists substantial off-road figures for the electric model. These describe the G 580, but the available figures do not establish that it beats the gasoline versions on each measure.

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G 580 specification Mercedes-Benz claim What it establishes
Maximum fording depth 33.5 inches; 5.9 inches more than the G 550 and AMG G 63, according to Mercedes-Benz’s 2024 launch material A stated advantage over those two gasoline models on this measure
Gradeability 100 percent on suitable surfaces, according to Mercedes-Benz’s 2024 launch material A surface-qualified manufacturer claim, not a result for every slope or condition
Lateral-slope stability Up to 35 degrees, according to Mercedes-Benz’s 2024 launch material A published limit for the electric model; no matched gasoline comparison is established
Ground clearance 9.8 inches, according to Mercedes-Benz’s 2024 launch material A G 580 specification, not evidence of greater clearance than the gasoline models
Approach, departure, and breakover angles 32 degrees, 30.7 degrees, and 20.3 degrees respectively, according to Mercedes-Benz’s 2024 launch material Useful geometry figures for the G 580; no matched comparison is established

How its four motors change off-road control

The G 580 is Mercedes-Benz’s first fully electric G-Class. Its 116-kWh usable battery supplies four individually controlled motors. Mercedes-Benz USA lists output at 579 hp and 859 lb-ft of torque, with peak torque available from a standstill. The important off-road distinction is that the system can meter torque at each wheel.

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Mercedes calls this arrangement a virtual differential-lock system. That describes electronic torque control, not the manually operated mechanical locking differentials fitted to gasoline G-Class models. The two approaches should not be treated as interchangeable or ranked categorically: how well either serves a driver depends on terrain, conditions, and the task.

LOW RANGE

The G 580 has selectable LOW RANGE as standard. In Rock mode, Mercedes-Benz says it applies a 2:1 gear reduction, giving the driver a low-speed off-road setting alongside the four motors’ wheel-level torque control.

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G-TURN and G-STEERING

G-TURN can rotate the vehicle up to two complete turns on loose or unpaved surfaces. It requires Rock mode and LOW RANGE. Mercedes’ US product page cautions that drivers should use it only on loose or low-friction surfaces where there is enough room to rotate, and must check the surroundings and conditions.

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G-STEERING controls wheel torque to turn the vehicle around the inside rear wheel, which can reduce its turning circle off-road. These functions add specialized maneuvering options; they do not show that the electric model is superior in every tight turn or trail scenario.

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What the specifications cannot prove

Water depth, clearance, angles, gradeability, and torque-control features each describe a particular part of off-road capability. They do not amount to a comprehensive comparison of traction, durability, recovery performance, or progress over difficult trails. Mercedes’ published geometry figures are for the G 580, and the retrieved material does not provide corresponding figures for the gasoline models to compare on those measures.

That distinction matters because the electric G-Class’s most striking new functions are not themselves comparative test results. Mercedes presents the four-motor concept as a way to advance G-Class performance; that is the company’s engineering rationale, not independent confirmation that the G 580 outperforms a gasoline G-Class across terrain.

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TechRadar’s 2025 first-hand review does not fill that gap: its reviewer said they did not have the means to test the G 580’s off-road mettle. The review is useful for a different question—what using the electric G-Class on a road trip was like—but it cannot substantiate superior trail performance.

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The road-use tradeoff: charging and mass

TechRadar’s reviewer described the G 580 as heavy and reported plugging in three times during a 400-mile round trip and weekend. That is one reviewer’s experience on a particular trip, not a standardized range test or a universal prediction of charging stops. It does, however, illustrate that off-road technology does not remove the practical planning required for a large battery-electric vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz’s 2024 press kit gives combined energy consumption of 27.7–30.3 kWh/100 km and combined CO₂ emissions of 0 g/km in a European specification context. Those electric-model figures do not establish a like-for-like efficiency, range, or emissions comparison with a gasoline G-Class; the available material supplies no matched comparison using the same market and test cycle. Specifications and equipment can also vary by model year and region, so consult the local Mercedes-Benz listing for the vehicle being considered.

Verdict: more capable in named areas, not proven superior overall

The electric G 580 has one clearly stated comparative advantage over the G 550 and AMG G 63: Mercedes says it can ford 5.9 inches deeper. It also brings four-motor torque control, LOW RANGE, G-TURN, and G-STEERING. But the evidence supports a bounded conclusion, not the blanket claim that the electric G-Wagon is more capable in every off-road sense. Mercedes’ specifications are not a matched trail test, and the independent review available here did not test its off-road performance.

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