12-05-2025
Mercedes-Benz G580 electric: the iconic G-Wagon goes green while maintaining its legendary capability
The legendary Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon has gone fully electric with the G580.
Name any vehicle that was built almost 50 years ago, is still in production and is instantly recognisable by virtually the entire world.
There aren't many, right?
Unless, of course, it's the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon or, more correctly, the Geländewagen.
First introduced in 1979 as a military vehicle and later that year as a civilian option, the G-Wagon has stayed true to its box-like shape and incredible offroad ability whether it's a modern diesel G450d or the fire-breathing AMG G63 that's much loved by rappers, gangsters, soccer players and the rich and famous social types.
Who knew, though, that an electric G580 would be as good, possibly better, than anything that has preceded it?
I suppose it was inevitable given the way mobility is moving, but as an offroad enthusiast, when it was first announced, I had a good laugh.
But after experiencing it first hand at the AMG Driving Experience Centre at Zwartkops, I must tilt my cap to what the engineers have managed to conjure up.
Same exterior but a different powertrain
We don't have to go into the exterior details simply because it's a G-Wagon, and not much has changed over the years.
Interestingly, it hasn't changed its ladder chassis and body-on-frame design either, the German manufacturer preferring instead to stick to the fundamentals of what the G-Class is about.
The chassis houses a 116kWh lithium-ion battery pack that's waterproof and protected from the elements by a torsion-resistant casing and underbody protection, including carbon-fibre reinforced materials, that they say can carry up to three times the weight of the car, should you get hung up on a rock and gives you a wading depth of 850mm.
