Mercedes-Benz made a series of announcements yesterday, so many that it's almost hard to keep track of everything the German automaker is promising. Among the announcements is a commitment to invest $47 billion USD in electrification by the end of the decade.
However, one piece of news that caught our attention is the arrival, in 2024, of an all-electric version of the company's monster G-Class SUV. A true symbol of opulence and oil dependence, the model will go green in three years, according to its maker.
All-electric, all the time
Mercedes-Benz also confirmed that it is going to be an all-electric brand by 2030. And that includes everything from the AMG performance division.
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius had previously talked about an electric G-Class back in 2019. At the time, the company even considered ending production of the vehicle, but the executive took the opportunity to declare that the last Mercedes model to be built should be a G-Class.
That gives you an idea of the symbolic importance of the model to the company. And while it’s true the G-Class is not exactly a common sight on Canadian roads, if you head to Hollywood and Beverly Hills it’s a ubiquitous presence.
But why wait until 2024? The fact is, the G-Class is massive and will require a lot of energy to deliver a dynamic drive and decent range. Perhaps Mercedes is waiting for battery technology to improve. It's also unclear whether the next model will again be based on its current platform (though modified, of course) or rely on one of the three electric architectures the automaker has committed to developing by 2025.
The latter is the more likely possibility.
Before then, however, what we might see is a plug-in hybrid version. It could even carry the AMG badge, as the division plans to introduce PHEV technology across its entire lineup prior to going all-electric. The company is also working on a plug-in hybrid configuration that includes a V8 engine, which it plans to debut soon on the four-door GT coupe with an output of more than 800 hp.
