As we move into the electric age, automotive brands are hard at work building new electric vehicles, as well as finding ways to turn what they currently sell into an EV.
We've seen this with Volkswagen's Golf, Kia's Sorento, but a recent patent filing from Mercedes-Benz hints at something a lot cooler — an all-electric G-Wagen off-roader.
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Just recently, the German giant filed to patent the model names 'EQG 580' and 'EQG 560', which have been filed in the same format as the upcoming luxury EQS sedan.
We can expect to see this EQG use the same electric power train as the EQS, with electric motors at the front and the rear, providing a four-wheel drive system that's capable of shifting torque between axles.
In the EQS, the 580 power train will be good for 384kW and 828Nm, meaning that it will be quite the performer. We can expect to see these same power and torque figures in the EQG.
Historically, the G-Class has always been built on a ladder-frame chassis, but it remains to be seen if this new EQG will move to the brand's new EVA architecture. Given the G-Class' off-roading pedigree, we'd be surprised to see this change happen.
We could see this electric G-Class come up against the recently-revealed GM Hummer EV SUV, as an alternative to the "world's first supertruck", but we can imagine that the German would be a bit more luxurious.
As to when this will happen is anyone's guess, but Daimler chief executive Ola Kallenius has previously said that an electric G-Wagen is inevitable, so we just have to play the waiting game.