The All-Electric Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen Debuts. Her…

After years of teasing, and even some showy demonstrations, Mercedes-Benz has finally unveiled the production version of its all-electric G-Class SUV. In a break from current Mercedes nomenclature, in which battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are designated by the EQ prefix, the model letter, some numbers, a drivetrain description, and maybe a body type (e.g. EQS 580 4MATIC SUV, EQS 450 4MATIC Sedan), the electric G is simply called the G 580.

This is because the G-Class is a rectilinear icon, one that has been on sale globally for over 45 years with minimal stylistic changes, and one that cannot be confused with any other vehicle in the marque’s forever-metastasizing lineup. “There is only one G,” Mercedes-Benz‘s chief technical officer Markus Schäfer tells Robb Report. “And now, there’s a G with an internal-combustion engine, and there’s an electric G. Same car. More-or-less same platform. Small modifications.”   

Some of these minor mods can be readily detected. There is a solid blacked-out grille up front, with a light beam surrounding the three-pointed star. There is also a slightly higher hood up front, an air-curtain cutout at the rear wheel arch, new trim around the windshield, and a spoiler lip on the roof strip. These are all allegedly intended as aerodynamic aids, which seems counterintuitive in a vehicle with the drag coefficient of a convention center. And instead of the hard case at the back serving to carry the spare tire, it’s now a color-keyed box that houses the charger cables for the onboard battery.

Inside, things are…