The electric G-Class is not selling as well as Mercedes-Benz had expected

The G-Class from Mercedes-Benz continues to enjoy considerable success in its combustion versions, with six- and eight-cylinder engines. However, the same cannot be said of the electric variant of this 4×4, known as the G580 with EQ technology, which reached the market last year and in all this time does not seem to have generated the same enthusiasm among buyers of this type of vehicle. At least, that is what some sources close to the company claim.

At Mercedes-Benz, they are apparently worried about this situation, and if it does not change in the coming months it could even have consequences for the manufacturer’s future plans, to the point that the planned 2027 launch of a model similar to the electric G-Class but smaller in size could be in jeopardy.

Based on data from several market research firms cited in German media, only 1,450 units of the G580 were sold worldwide up to April 2025. By contrast, sales of the combustion-engine versions reached 9,700 units in the same period. That is, almost seven times more.

The figures by country are equally discouraging. In China, the market with the highest volume of electric vehicle sales, only 58 units of the G580 with EQ technology were delivered to new owners since autumn 2024; while in South Korea, this figure was slightly higher, with 61 units delivered, despite being a much smaller market. The most serious case, however, is that of the US market, where not a single delivery was recorded.

Is the history of the Mercedes-Benz EQC repeating itself?

For the time being, Mercedes-Benz has not disclosed a specific sales target, probably so as not to get its fingers burnt, and officially the company limits itself to assuring that everything is going well. However, according to German media, some executives privately acknowledge that there is no way to move them off dealer lots and that sales figures are much lower than expected.

These same executives also admit, privately, that the limited sales volume of the electric G580 could end up affecting the planned launch of a smaller G-Class. Although Mercedes insists that this model will be exclusively electric and will use a combination of the CLA’s MMA platform and elements of the MB.EA for medium and large vehicles, internal sources suggest that the company is considering ultimately offering combustion-engine versions. In this regard, an engineer reportedly confirmed to German media that the additional adaptation costs needed to make this project a reality would be acceptable, since it would only require a major redesign of the front of the vehicle.

In short, time will tell how all of this ends.