The New Mercedes G-Wagen Is America’s First Modern EV With A Solid Axle And That’s Extremely Cool

Mercedes-Benz sticks by its nameplates decade in, decade out. As the brand’s prime off-roader, the G-Class has become a proud icon in the company’s lineup. As the German automaker heralds the G-Class into the electric era, it’s sticking true to what makes it special, inside and out.

In full, the new model is the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 EQ. From the outside, you wouldn’t instantly know it’s an electric vehicle, just by looking. The rugged, square good looks of the Geländewagen carry through. It’s in the details that Mercedes found room to nod to modernity. The headlights, glowing grille surround, and wheels indicate that this G-Class is from 2025 rather than 1979.

The new model is a blend of the old and the new, and that goes beyond the looks. Indeed, there are some engineering surprises in the G580. As it turns out, where off-road performance is concerned, Mercedes has found that sometimes the old ways are best. We’ll deal with the G-Class’s most shocking feature first, and dive into the rich detail straight after.

That Axle’s Rock Solid

Perhaps the most shocking feature of the G580 is its suspension. Up front, it has an independent setup—so far, so conventional. At the rear, however, Mercedes has made the bold move to employ a solid-axle setup. In this modern, high-tech world, so many automakers have gone the fully independent route, but that’s anything but the case here.

The electric G-Class uses De Dion suspension at the back. It’s a solid axle, but not a live one. The suspension has a rigid tube connecting between the rear wheel hubs, hence creating a solid axle. However, there are no axle shafts within the tube. Thus, it’s not a live axle, but quite the opposite—De Dion suspensions are sometimes referred to as a “dead axle” setup.

In a De Dion setup, a set of half-shafts/axle shafts with universal joints are used to send drive to each rear wheel. This is more complex than a simple live axle, but it has an important benefit. It allows the differential—or motor drive unit—to be mounted directly to the chassis, with the universal joints allowing the half-shafts to flex as needed. [Ed Note: These are CV-joints, and I have concerns about their angle limitations. This is a big part of an independent suspension’s travel-limit — once those CV joints reach a certain angle, their lifespan really starts to dwindle. A live axle doesn’t have this issue, as the axle shafts are inside a tube; only the driveshaft’s joints have to flex as the suspension moves, but the driveshaft is long, so it can droop quite a bit. -DT]. This setup means the differential and half-shafts are no longer unsprung weight. Lower unsprung weight means the suspension is better controlled and more responsive. Any cuts to unsprung weight can help improve a vehicle’s handling.

It bears noting that the unsprung weight advantage of a De Dion suspension is primarily with regard to live-axle setups. In vehicles with independent rear suspension (IRS), the differential is still typically mounted to the chassis for a similar benefit. However, IRS setups are often a bit heavier in total weight. They also often have drawbacks in terms of articulation, camber change, and complexity, which makes them less desirable for off-road use.

Other benefits of the De Dion setup include camber stability throughout compression and extension. Unlike most independent suspension designs, the wheel’s camber doesn’t change as the suspension travels up and down. This helps maintain better grip and can also cut wheel hop under acceleration. The solid axle can also be a boon to articulation, which can help a truck clear tough obstacles.

There are drawbacks, too, however. The suspension is non-independent, so when one wheel hits a bump, it affects the other wheel in turn. Additionally, when just one wheel is in compression, the tilt naturally causes a sympathetic change in camber on the other wheel.  It’s also often necessary to include a Watts linkage or Panhard rod to laterally locate the setup if coil springs are chosen over leaf springs.

The solid-axle De Dion setup was probably chosen for its off-road benefits. A solid-axle setup typically gives a vehicle better articulation and flexibility for tackling tough obstacles. It sacrifices something in terms of ride and handling on the road, but Mercedes was likely willing to make that tradeoff for the rugged G-Class.

Mercedes is a trailblazer, bringing this design to a production electric vehicle. It’s not the first to enter this space, however. Lordstown Motors explored using a solid axle on its Endurance electric pickup, though it used hub motors instead of a central rear drive unit. Sadly, the Endurance never really hit production. Ford also used a De Dion setup on the 1998 Ranger EV.  The De Dion layout hasn’t been seen in many modern cars, but it did show up on the Smart Fortwo and the Caterham 7 in recent years.

Fundamentals

Let’s talk power. The G580 has four motors in total, with one driving each wheel. Total combined output is 579 horsepower and a monstrous 858 pound-feet of torque. That’s instant-on torque, too, available from zero RPM, courtesy of electric drive. That drivetrain will get the G580 from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. Top speed is limited to 111 mph.

There are no differential locks, since each wheel is driven independently. The G580 effectively implements virtual differential locks by controlling the torque output to each wheel automatically as needed.

Range is a respectable 293 miles on the WLTP drive cycle. That’s courtesy of a 116 kWh battery. That’s a touch smaller than some rival EV offroaders, but a smaller battery means the G580 has less weight to haul around. The battery is protected against water and dirt ingress and has a “torsion resistant casing.” Installed as a key member of the ladder frame chassis, it adds to the rigidity of the whole vehicle. Fast charging is possible at rates up to 200 kW – not lightning fast, but most people aren’t getting better than 150 kW regularly at any fast charger.

Underbody protection for the battery is vital, and Mercedes didn’t skimp in this regard. Installed underneath the electric G-Class is a 1-inch thick undertray made out of “an intelligent material mix that includes carbon.” Mercedes notes it weighs 127 pounds, but that it would be a full three times heavier if it was made out of steel. You shouldn’t have to worry too much about it falling off, either. It’s attached to the ladder frame with 50 steel screws. You could (and probably will) lose ten of them and still have no problems.

There’s also an off-road gear reduction included in the drivetrain, giving the G-Class proper low-range gearing. This allows for slow and steady progress in difficult situations, with the 2:1 step-down gearing ramping up torque at the expense of speed. This required integrating the step-down gearing into each motor, since the wheels are all driven independently. Engaging the low-range gearing immediately activates the in-built intelligent crawl function.

If you like party tricks, you’ll also enjoy the G580’s special features. The G-TURN feature lets the G580 turn almost on the spot. It’s basically a tank turn, where the wheels on either side of the vehicle are driven in opposite directions to turn on a dime. It’s only for use on unsealed or loose surfaces… at least in theory:

The new Mercedes-Benz electric G Wagon does a 360-degree tank turn ????pic.twitter.com/lcQfd6BqOd

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) January 13, 2024

Mercedes notes that it “looks spectacular,” which is a fair assessment. You can only do two revolutions in G-TURN before it automatically stops, however. This should stop you throwing up from excessive pirouettes. G-STEERING is essentially a subtler feature in the same vein, where drive torque is adjusted to help shorten the turning circle. In this mode, the G580 effectively pivots in a turn around the inner rear wheel.

As for the fundamental numbers, the G-Class stacks up well. It’s able to handle a 45-degree grade on suitable surfaces. It also has a minimum ground clearance of 9.84 inches between the axles, and a minimum fording depth of 33.5 inches for water and mud. Approach, departure, and breakover angles are 32°, 30.7°, and 20.3° respectively.

Any fears that the electric G-Class would be a soft touch would appear to be unfounded. It appears Mercedes has invested the money to develop a stout and capable electric off-roader. Assuming it does what it says on the tin, it can carry the Geländewagen name with pride.

But what of the G-Class’s other grand duty? It’s true that this capable off-roader also has an important job in making rich people look like swanky badasses. Fundamentally, Mercedes hasn’t really changed the look all that much, and it hasn’t forgotten how to trim a quality interior. Thus, as a ferry for the rich and famous, it will do well.

We haven’t driven the electric G-Class just yet. Actual off-road tests will give us the true measure of its mettle. For now, though, it appears Mercedes is barking up the right tree with this New World version of its storied off-roader.

Image credits: Mercedes Benz except where noted