Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to have a soft spot for macho cars with eco drives. The actor once drove a Hummer H2 with a hydrogen drive in his role as governor of California. The governor, on the other hand, relies on a battery-electric one G-Class from the Kreisel company.
Kreisel - a specialist for electrical drive components based in Kitzbühel - wants to demonstrate its expertise in e-mobility with the conversion of the G-Class. A G 350 d from the year 2016 served as the basis, in which the combustion engine was replaced by several electric motors. The e-machines are designed to mobilize 360 kW / 490 PS together, which allows a sprint time of 5,6 seconds and just over 180 km / h top speed. Thanks to a reduction gearbox flanged to the transfer case together with axle locks and a transfer case lock, the G-Class should also offer undiminished high off-road expertise.
Among other things, in the engine compartment and instead of the tank, an 500-kWh battery pack weighing over 80 kilograms could be accommodated in the G-Class, which under normal conditions should allow a good 300 kilometer range. Thanks to quick charging technology, according to Kreisel, it is possible to charge up to 80 percent of the battery capacity in 25 minutes.
The electric G-Class is a unique piece that Schwarzenegger will test in practice in his adopted home California. The gyro did not mention the price for the conversion. (Mario Hommen / SP-X)