- Rivian, GMC and Mercedes all approach EV off-roading differently.
- Mercedes uses the most proven off-road approach, but with a serious range penalty.
- While the Hummer and R1S are both highly capable vehicles, there are two reasons why I’d choose the Mercedes G 580 W/EQ Technology for off-roading every time.
There are really only three electric off-road SUVs. Rivian makes the R1S, GMC makes the Hummer EV SUV and Mercedes makes the G 580 with EQ Technology. All three represent different approaches to the problem of making a capable, everyday EV. But there’s only one I’d really pick over a gas vehicle for the gnarliest trails, and it certainly isn’t the one with the most range.
The YouTube channel Out of Spec pitted all three against each other in a recent range test, following up on their off-road comparison. In both videos, you can really see how the approach differs. The Hummer is built with sheer excess and power in mind, weighing in at around 9,000 pounds and offering 1,000-plus horsepower. The Rivian R1S Dual Max is the thinking man’s approach, built with range and daily livability as primary goals.
Then there’s the G-Wagen, the simplest, least exciting looking, gas-platform-derived SUV that costs twice as much as the others and offers far less range. And it’s still the one I’d want to take wheeling.
It’s not for nostalgia, alone, either. There’s a reason that the G-Wagen formula has survived for decades. If you want to go off-road, a short wheelbase, boxy design with a solid rear axle is the ultimate solution. It’s why none of those $200,000 heavy duty truck builds you see can hang with a stock Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Those are even better, because they have solid front axles, too.
Make no mistake, this approach comes with real consequences. Vehicles like this handle worse on the road, ride worse on the highway and are far less efficient. That’s why the G 580—despite its $161,500 starting price and 116-kilowatt-hour battery—only gets 239 miles of EPA rated range. As the Out Of Spec video shows, it can’t quite deliver that at 70 mph sustained, because its boxy shape is so bad for aerodynamics.
The Hummer managed 291 miles of range (compared to an EPA estimate of 313 miles). The R1S, meanwhile, went the farthest by far: 381 miles.
As an all-around package, I’d certainly have an R1S Dual Max. That thing gets 410 miles of EPA range and rides like a dream. But when the going gets rough, the Mercedes has two gigantic advantages.
The first is that the G 580 W/EQ Technology preserves the G-Wagen tradition of having a solid rear axle. Well, almost. Technically the rear end is a De Dion axle, which is basically like a solid axle with motors mounted to it. The key thing is it still provides the main advantage of a solid axle: flexibility. Vehicles with solid axles can handle steeper obstacles without lifting their wheels, preserving traction and making the entire experience smoother.
To that end, the G 580 is also the only vehicle here with a low-range gearbox. Or, four of them, to be more accurate. The G-class has four independent motors, like the top-trim Rivian. (The top-of-the-line Hummer makes do with three.) But unlike the motors in the Hummer and R1S, each G-Wagen motor gets its own two-speed gearbox. The lower gear is equivalent to low range in a four-wheel-drive truck, which delivers far more torque to the wheels during low-speed off-roading and climbing. Low range gearboxes are one of the key reasons why four-wheel-drive trucks are more capable than all-wheel-drive crossovers, and giving a torquey electric motor a true crawler gear is an even more dramatic improvement.
Essentially, the G 580 with EQ Technology never has a torque or power problem off-road. While its street-spec tires may struggle to grip certain obstacles, the motors themselves easily provide enough oomph to slowly crawly up anything with minimal throttle input. That’s a huge advantage, as it allows you to crawl up obstacles at extremely low speeds, making the experience more comfortable, easier on the vehicle and easier on the terrain. Meanwhile, last time I rock-crawled a Rivian R1S, I was spinning tires left and right. I could tell the motors were getting hot, I could smell the burning rubber and I could see the tires digging for traction.
The G-Wagen is just less dramatic. Sure, it’s more compromised. But in the world of off-roading, simplicity tends to trump sophistication. For me, the smaller footprint, better low-speed throttle control and extreme wheel torque advantage makes it the obvious choice. But if you need to road trip to find a good overlanding trail, you’re probably better off in the Hummer or Rivian.
Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com
