Mercedes-Benz has hyped the electric G580 with EQ Technology, but the iconic design has not translated to an illustrious sales success, spurring a change to future product plans.
Poor sales performance for the all-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class have been called out by company executives.
In an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt, Mercedes-Benz executives have condemned the poor sales performance of the electric G-Class.
“The car is sitting like lead at dealers; it’s a complete flop,” an uncredited Mercedes executive said in an interview with Handelsblatt.
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Another manager from within the firm said, “It’s a niche model; production numbers are very low.”
According to the report, since its release in April 2024, the G580 has recorded just 1450 European sales. In the Chinese market, where Mercedes-Benz would have surely hoped to make a huge impact, just 58 sales have been recorded.
With buyers not flocking to the full-size electric G-Class, Mercedes-Benz is reportedly now evaluating plans for a smaller model.
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The mooted smaller G-Class was originally slated to be an electric-only model, based on the same Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) platform as the new CLA.
The shared MMA platform provides flexibility, with the CLA line-up already announced with a range of petrol-hybrid and electric models. This provides an opportunity for Mercedes-Benz to tweak its model line-up for the ‘Little G’ much more easily than if it were on a dedicated EV platform.
The lack of success for the Mercedes-Benz G580 reflects trends that have also seen dedicated EV models like the EQE and EQS models fail to meet sales expectations.
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The move to broaden the powertrain range of the sub-G-Class SUV comes as the brand pulls back investment into dedicated electric vehicles and alters electric vehicle sales targets to reflect slowing sales of electric vehicles in major markets.
The G580’s Australian launch took place only last month, with no clear picture yet of the model’s relative success. To the end of May 2025, the G-Class had recorded 156 sales in total, less than two per cent of Mercedes-Benz’s overall sales for the year.
Australian G-Class sales year-to-date in 2025 are down 20.8 per cent compared to 2024 figures.
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