A Mercedes-Benz G-Class isn’t the first vehicle one would think of when looking to turn a car “green,” especially seeing as the G63 AMG 6X6 and G500 4X4 don’t come across as gas-sipping SUVs.
But that’s exactly what Austrian battery company Kreisel Electric has pulled off, creating a fully electric G-Class that boasts an impressive pedigree considering Arnold Schwarzenegger is the vehicle’s spokesman.
Probably the most convincing battery-powered off-road 4×4 ever made, the Kreisel-modified G350d boasts a brand new engine and transmission with dual electric motors and an over 1,100-pound 80-kWh battery. The exterior of the G-Class is almost completely unchanged, with the exception of the Kreisel logo on the grille.
This all-wheel drivetrain makes 484 horsepower with a top speed of 113 mph and offers a range of up to 186 miles per charge. The Kreisel G350d’s electric powertrain also shaves three seconds off the zero-to-62 mph time, racing to the milestone in just 5.6 seconds.
The car also comes equipped with a 150 kW fast-charging technology built in, bringing it to an 80 percent charge in just about 25 minutes.
The Terminator and former Governor of California is not just the spokesperson for the electrified SUV. Schwarzenegger, a G-Class enthusiast, helped Kreisel Electric conceptualize and create the SUV.
Kreisel Electric unveiled the G-Class at the famed Hahnenkamm mountain in the Kitzbühel Alps with Schwarzenegger, completing the all-Austrian affair.