Mercedes-Benz EQG secrets revealed

No compromise is the mantra the pure-electric Mercedes-Benz Concept EQG has been developed under and just hours before its unveiling at the Munich motor show this week, carsales was given exclusive access to one of the key execs overseeing its development.

Released in second-generation G 63 AMG form in late 2018, followed by the G400d this month, the legendary G-Class is more popular now than in its entire 42-year history, with the rugged and boxy off-roader outselling all of its rivals many times over.

In fact in Australia, Mercedes-Benz has stopped taking orders for both G-Class models, both of which now command 12-month waiting lists – despite highly inflated list prices of $233,776 and $298,876 respectively.

And despite that fact most G-wagens never venture off-road, Mercedes says the success of the new-generation model is due to the fact it follows in the original Gelandewagen of 1979 in being designed with no compromise when it comes to its off-road capability.

“When you start discussing the idea how to electrify an icon you have to make sure it stays an icon in the electric age,” said Mercedes board member and head of research, Markus Schafer, the man charged with reinventing the G-Class as an EV.

According to Schafer, Daimler considered moving the EQG to Daimler’s latest EVA2 electric vehicle architecture but soon ruled that out as it would have impacted the G-wagen’s abilities in the dirt, even if it would also have transformed the rugged 4x4’s on-road ride and handling.

“The recipe was always no compromise with the G-wagen and that's why we kept the hard-core platform,” he said.

“We decided it had to be a G for the electric age and it was always a number one priority to keep the shape of the iconic vehicle.”

The Mercedes-Benz EQG also had to be capable of climbing the 1445-metres Shockl mountain in Graz, Austria, which is regarded by many off-road enthusiasts as one of the world's toughest off-road trails.

Ignore the illuminated rub strips and the smooth front fascia in lieu of a grille, and it might be tempting to assume Mercedes engineers had simply squeezed the EQS limousine’s powertrain into the spaces afforded by the G-wagen’s ladder-frame chassis.

In truth, it was a whole lot more complicated.

While the off-road EV’s body carries over largely unchanged from the MkII G-Class, the EQG hasn’t retained the same ladder-frame chassis. Instead, Shafer claims the frame is all-new.

And the same goes for the powertrain. The EQG’s rugged looks disguise one of the most advanced battery-electric powertrains ever fitted to a production EV.

Instead of one, two or three traditional radial electric motors, Shafer and his team insisted on developing a next-gen EV powertrain employing advanced axial flux motors.

Benz didn't develop the new motors itself but acquired them after Mercedes-AMG convinced its parent company to buy UK-based YASA in order to secure the technology for its next-gen supercars.

Consisting of hundreds of new patents, the EV technology offered enormous potential for the EQG, said Shafer.

“It was not a packaging reason we tried a new [powertrain] concept – it was for off-road ability. [With] torque vectoring, you can do amazing things. You can climb amazing mountains.

“From the tech point of view that’s very special to work with four e-motors. For us it soon became the only technical concept that worked for us [with the EQG].”

Once the decision was made to use axial motor technology, which is currently seen only in two vehicles, one of which is the Ferrari SF90 Stradale (in a different application), Shafer began to realise the added complexity the new technology brought.

“The suspension, battery-inverters and e-motors are all a unique concept. You won't find any of them in any EVA2 or any other vehicle, in fact.”

Schafer, who spent plenty of time behind the wheel of prototype battery-powered G-wagens, says the driving experience delivered by the EQG is “very different” to the that of current G-Class.

He said that both the quietness and acceleration levels take some getting used to, and that the EQG is fast whether it’s ascending or descending mountains.

Schafer believes the new axial motors are the future – not just for its rugged off-roader, which is now future-proofed via EV technology.

“The new e-motor is efficient and has a super compact design which gives us many more opportunities,” he said. “They will help the further development of EVs, particularly with downsizing, reducing weight.”

There’s no doubt that if the current G-Class hasn't been such a phenomenal success Shafer's team of engineers and designers would never have been given such free reign to innovate with the off-road EV.

“We're investing heavily here because this is a very successful brand. More successful than ever,” he said.

“We had the most successful time after 40 years in the market. We want to pave the road for the next 40 years with this vehicle to ensure the G remains stronger than time.”

Related: Mercedes-Benz G-Class goes electric