- The upgraded battery, available starting in 2026, will reportedly improve the G580’s range from 292 to 400 miles
- New power supply offers 20-40 percent more energy density than the current 116 kWh battery
- The electric “G580 with EQ technology” was unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show earlier this month
Due to its boxy shape and hefty curb weight, the Mercedes G-Class is not the most obvious candidate for an electric car conversion. When Mercedes unveiled the new G580 EQ last week, it wasn’t a big surprise that it had a WLTP range of under 300 miles. But according to a new report, Benz engineers are already planning to improve the electric G-Wagen’s ability to travel by over 35 percent.
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A 116 kWh battery is huge compared to most electric vehicles, but is hampered by the rest of the G package and is only enough to carry the clunkily named 2025 G580 with EQ technology 272 miles (438 km), before the driver has to find a charger, according to Mercedes information.
Related: The 579-hp, four-motor Mercedes G580 EQ can outrun and overtake the ICE G
But before the sun had even set on the Beijing Auto Show and long before Mercedes had delivered a single example of the new G580 EQ, Mercedes officials said Autocar that the model would be available with a completely new battery type within two years. The new silicon anode power supply reportedly increases energy density by 20 to 40 percent.
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There is a significant difference between these two numbers, with the report pointing out that even taking the lowest of these numbers as a guide would increase the G’s battery capacity to 139 kWh and could theoretically increase the range to 354 miles (570 km) on the model delivers the same 2.6 MPkWh as the current G.
Such a range wouldn’t break any records, but it would help tremendously in making the G580 far more acceptable. If the density increase were 40 percent instead of 20 percent, the effective battery capacity could reach up to 162 kWh and increase the range to over 400 miles (644 km).
“Providing such a high energy density is a real game-changer and allows us to think in completely new directions when developing future electric cars,” said Mercedes Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer Autocars Greg Cable. The report adds that the same battery technology will unsurprisingly make its way into other Mercedes electric vehicles, such as the facelifted EQS, which also debuted in Beijing.
The G580 EQ is powered by a four-motor powertrain that produces 579 hp (588 hp / 432 kW) and 859 lb-ft (1,164 Nm) to propel the 3,085 kg (6,800 lbs) SUV to 62 mph (100 km/h ) to bring 4.7 seconds.
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