Electric G-Class gets a 37.4% range boost from the manufacturer

The all-electric Mercedes-Benz G580 only debuted a couple of weeks ago, but the company is already working on a tech upgrade for it that should extend its driving range by a nice 37.4%.

Right now, the SUV is being manufactured with a 116-kWh lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack provided by Chinese vendor CATL. Despite its seemingly big size, the battery runs dry after approximately 473 kilometers (294 miles) of range. The company has now announced working on a next-generation battery tech that should arrive by 2026 and give the eco-friendly G-Class at least 650 km (404 miles) between the charges.

The new power cell array is being designed together with U.S.-based company Sila Nanotechnologies. Its biggest advantage comes in the form of new silicon anodes allowing for much higher power storage density. The research team’s initial target is a 20% improvement in power density, which means the G580 may initially receive a pack rated close to 139 kWh. The ultimate goal, however, is at 37.4%. If it is reached, the SUV will have 162 kilowatt-hours of electricity to burn through.

Moving forward, Mercedes-Benz plans to install these next-gen batteries on its other models as well, particularly those from the EQS luxury lineup.