The Mercedes EQG will be able to tank-turn. The video of a prototype doing the spectacular maneuver originates to prove it.
A short clip shows how the electric G-Class is able to spin around its own axis, doing a 360-degree turn. The prototype wears the usual black-and-white camouflage, that covers the front, rear end, front and rear pillars, fenders and hood. The doors are out in broad daylight and so is the roof. But those are exactly the body parts that are no different from the ICE-powered G.
The car shows up rushing off the tarmac in the 33-second video. It suddenly stops and simply starts to do the tank turn. What happens exactly is that it spins around by turning wheels on one side in the opposite direction of the others.
The move is possible because the G-Class you see in the video sports four electric motors, one per wheel. An independent front suspension and a rigid rear axle are also part of the plan.
Rivian teased the tank turn several years ago, but the Mercedes EQG is getting it
There was also Rivian that teased the tank turn three years ago and everyone expected it to show up in the R1T electric pickup truck. But the Tesla Cybertruck feature does not have it yet. Instead, off-road tech enthusiasts can enjoy the Crab Walk feature that the electric Hummer has. That moves the vehicle diagonally as the wheels turn in the same direction up to a 10-degree angle.
The Mercedes EQG will probably be the first series production model to get it. The electric off-roader will hit the showrooms sometime in 2024. That would be three years after Mercedes first showed the Concept EQG at the Munich Motor Show. It will also debut the lithium ion battery pack with silicon anode chemistry for a better range thanks to the higher-density cells.
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