Electric But a G

The G-Class thuds, clunks and locks into place like a bank vault. Now it hums, moving into a battery-powered future without losing an inch of its intimidating silhouette.

- By Dieter Losskarn

THE SEED FOR this electric G was already planted back in 2017 when Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austria's most famous export after Red Bull and Mozartkugeln, had an eco-conscious epiphany. He asked Kreisel Electric to turn his beloved G350d into an electric vehicle (EV).

By the way, like the G, Arnie was born in Graz, Styria. The G in 1967, Schwarzenegger 20 years earlier. Rumour has it that the conversion cost him a small fortune. The twin electric motors of this built delivered a then staggering 482hp, 0 to 100km/h time was 5.6 seconds and the range was 360km.

Mercedes took their time, but finally followed suit seven years later. With the G580, previously announced as the EQG, but that nomenclature didn't cut it so well. Luckily, Arnie never terminated his habit of smoking naturally aspirated cigars. So I don't have to vapour e-cigarettes while driving the G580.