“The electric G-Class features individual motors for each of the four wheels, enhancing its off-road capabilities.”
This is according to Markus Schäfer, the CTO of Mercedes-Benz. On the 24th, we interviewed him at the Grace Hotel in Beijing, just before the world premiere of the G-Class electric vehicle.
The dining room on the first floor of the hotel set an elegant, classic atmosphere. The interview was attended by Markus Schäfer and Oliver Löher, Head of Mercedes-Benz China R&D, both dressed in black round T-shirts, who began the conversation with jokes, creating a pleasant atmosphere for the interview.
Markus Schäfer has been a one-club man, having joined Mercedes-Benz in 1991 as a technician in the product production division, and has worked for 34 years at the company. He shared his thoughts on unveiling the electric G-Class in China: “China is the largest market. Electric vehicles are critical in China. Moreover, I believe launching the iconic design of the electrified G-Class in China will be a significant success.”
Markus expressed strong confidence, stating, “We will have a simultaneous launch in China and Los Angeles, USA. These two markets are the most important for Mercedes-Benz.”
Markus also elaborated on the advantages of the electric G-Class compared to its internal combustion engine counterparts.
“Every engineer faces the challenge that electric vehicles are heavier than traditional combustion engines. I tested the G-Class electrified model in the Austrian mountains. The unique feature of the electric G-Class is that it has an electric motor installed in each of the four wheels, allowing for individual control. This is amazing functionality. It comes equipped with G-Steering, G-Turn, G-Cornering, and G-Crawl functions.” These features enhance the electrified G-Class, setting it apart from the traditional internal combustion engine model.
While at first glance it appears to share the same platform as the internal combustion engine model, it is actually different. The size itself is distinct. The electric G-Class measures (4,624×1,931×1,986mm) and is smaller than the internal combustion engine variant (4,825×1,931×2,042mm). Markus emphasized the reason for choosing a different platform from the internal combustion engine model.
“The internal combustion engine model and the electrified model each have their own platforms. The electric G-Class must have high climbing capability and speed through the mountains. Therefore, I thought the internal combustion engine platform was not suitable.”
Mercedes-Benz continues to produce and sell most of its models domestically in China, excluding the S-Class, AMG, and Maybach. Regarding this, Oliver Löher, Head of R&D at Mercedes-Benz China, spoke about their plans for the domestic market.
“Currently, the models being produced and sold for the domestic market account for 80% of the entire lineup. We are also planning to domestically produce and sell the concept CLA, which will be unveiled tomorrow at Auto China, tailored for the Chinese market. Mercedes-Benz plans to significantly increase domestic production for the Chinese market to over 80%.”
Beijing = Sangjin Lee daedusj@autodiary.kr