But will the G 580's boxy design have a material effect on its real world range?
Mercedes G 580 Edition One retains the iconic boxy shape of the classic G-Wagen, which is great for brand recognition and off road capability, but it's bad for aerodynamics. For electric vehicles, where efficiency matters most for extending range, this design decision is bound to raise questions about what the real world performance will be. Mercedes says the car has a range of around 240 miles, but that seems optimistic, and many EV enthusiasts are skeptical about how that will translate to real world driving, especially down the highway. The question is whether the classic G Wagen styling is worth the potential sacrifice in range, and what this could mean for the vehicle's practicality for long distance travel, or off road adventures far from charging stations.
Absolutely. The problem is that brick like shape is going to kill the range, especially at highway speeds. It will probably only manage 200 miles in the real world.
Having some impact, but probably not to the extent that people think it will. Mercedes is not stupid, they've probably put a ton of work into other efficiency factors to make up for the shape.
Definitely will hurt range, but for the target market, it probably doesn't matter. While G-Wagen buyers want the looks, they don’t necessarily need the range.
I believe we’re overestimating the impact. There are so many other factors affecting range for modern EVs - battery tech, motor efficiency, weight distribution. That is just one piece of the puzzle.
But we'll see how they perform in real world tests. I think it’ll be okay for city driving, but long highway trips might be a little rough. Still, most G-Wagen owners aren't road tripping to begin with.
In some ways, the boxy design might actually help. It's less wind noise at high speeds and better stability. It’s not as slippery as a teardrop, sure, but it has other advantages.
I don't care about the shape so much as the weight. The real range killer will be all those batteries in a vehicle that is already heavy.
Comment
Discussions and Questions But Will The G 580S Boxy Design Have A Material Effect On Its Real World Range
No answers found .