Mercedes EQG, electric version of G-Class, to get range-boosting battery tech

Mercedes-Benz EQG has been making headlines for quite some time as an all-electric iteration of the iconic G-Class SUV. The pure electric SUV is claimed to come with a revolutionary technology enabling the car to have at least a 20 per cent range boost. A California-based battery material manufacturing company called Sila Nanotechnologies has joined hands with Mercedes-Benz to make silicon-based anodes for next-generation EV batteries, which will be introduced to the EQG, making it capable of increasing range and drastically, alongside reducing charging time substantially.

Christened as Titan Silicon battery materials, the EV battery technology has been in the works for several years and now finally becoming commercially viable. Mercedes-Benz is the first automaker in the world to receive this technology for its EVs, and the EQG will be the world's first-ever electric vehicle to get this revolutionary technology. Sila aims to have its Titan Silicon material powering one million electric vehicles by 2028, starting with the EQG, slated to launch in 2024.

Sila Nanotechnologies has claimed that the Totan Silicon is the first market-proven safe and clean full graphite anode replacement engineered for mass scale to boost EV performance dramatically. It also stated that these batteries will increase the range of the future EVs by around 20 per cent compared to the existing battery technology while significantly improving charging speed. Furthermore, the new battery material is claimed as better for the environment. The manufacturer claims that Titan Silicon generates 50 per cent to 75 per cent less CO2 per kWh during the production phase than graphite. Also, it can store ten times more charge than graphite as well.

The Mercedes-Benz EQG is expected to have a quad motor layout, each powering one wheel. This would generate a humongous amount of power output. The EQG is also anticipated to come promising more than 482 km range on a single charge, thanks to the new battery technology. The SUV could share its chassis with the ICE G-Class, which will receive a mid-life facelift later in 2023.

Mercedes-Benz is expected to keep the exterior and interior design of the production-spec EQG almost identical to the ICE-powered version. However, some distinctive styling elements would distinguish it as an EV.