Mercedes-Benz EQG (G-Class electric car) to feature four motors

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class will have an electric sibling called the EQG, and last week the company confirmed some information about its powertrain.

During a media drive of the 2024 S 63 E Performance, Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Schiebe said that "four electric motors will be mounted very close to the wheels, taking off-road performance to another level."

Schiebe also said the EQG will go on sale next year. Earlier reports had suggested that it could appear later this year.

The EQG has been rumored to have four electric motors since its debut in 2021 as the EQG Concept. The concept featured four motors mounted near the wheels and a two-speed transfer case for off-road gear reduction. However, this news confirms that there are four electric motors near the wheels, but Schiebe does not mention a two-speed gearbox.

The news indicates that the EQC could be equipped with in-wheel hub motors like the Lordstown Endurance electric pickup truck. However, there is no indication that Mercedes is working on a hub motor. Hub motors add unsprung weight to the EQG and worsen ride quality.

The EQG could use Mercedes' new axial-flow motor, which was used in the Vision One-Eleven supercar concept unveiled last week. Mercedes is working on this motor, which Shiebe said is one-third the weight of a radial-flux motor, one-third the space, and more efficient. Lucid uses axial-flux motors, each capable of producing up to 670 hp and smaller in size than most competitors' motors.

Off-road strength vehicles like the Rivian R1S and R1T also have four motors. These motors are located inboard of each axle and next to each other in the center of the vehicle. Mercedes' solution seems to be able to bridge the gap.

Last year, Mercedes released a video of an EQG prototype completing a so-called "G-turn," in which it turns in place; the Rivian R1T prototype performs the same type of turn, albeit called a "tank turn," and is enabled by rotating the motors on each axle in opposite directions The Rivian R1T was designed to be able to do the same thing. Rivian has since discontinued development of this feature.

Mercedes has not announced the output of the motors or the size of the battery pack. However, the company claims that the EQG will have off-road capabilities comparable to the gas-powered G-Class. The precise control of the power offered by the electric powertrain and the individual control offered by the four motors indicate that it could further increase its capabilities.