Kreisel Electric – the Austrian battery specialist, has launched the all-electric Mercedes-Benz G 350 D. Kreisel electrified the G 350 D by pulling out the engine and the transmission and fitting dual electric motors with reduction gears to the transfer gearbox.
Kreisel split the 1,124-lb (510-kg) 80-kWh battery up around the vehicle, putting modules under the hood, down low, and in the rear in place of the gas tank. The company was able to finish up in about two months while leaving the look of the G-Class virtually unchanged by conversion this way, save for the big Kreisel logo on the grille.
Kreisel said that it is electric, all-wheel-drive G-wagon can put up to 483 hp, travel up to 186 miles (300 km) per charge and hit a top speed of 113 mph (183 km/h). The electric powertrain also cuts three seconds off the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time, getting it down to 5.6 seconds.
Kreisel left the G 350 mostly stock but redesigned the instrument panel which is in support of the electric powertrain. When the battery level drops off, 150 kW fast-charging technologies will get the power back up running in about 25 minutes.
But now, Kreisel has no plans to sell a full electric G-Class to customers. The company describes it as a unique prototype before explaining that it is talking to partner companies about putting its battery technology into their mass-produced cars.
The Kreisel electric G-Class is the first electrified version of 4×4 icon we have seen, but it is the most capable and well-rounded. In the past, we have covered the electric Jeep Grand Cherokee from AMP and the electric Defender from Land Rover.
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