Mercedes doubles the discount on the G580 EQ in Germany

The electric G-Class has only generated modest interest – from its market launch in April 2024 to the end of April 2025, only 1,450 units of the G580 EQ were sold worldwide. Meanwhile, the classic combustion-engine model continues to enjoy strong demand. In the same period, the German carmaker sold 9,700 units fitted with six- or eight-cylinder engines.Fans particularly appreciate the V8 in the Mercedes-AMG G63 for its gruff sound. Online discussions speculate that this could be the main reason for the electric version’s lack of success so far – the core target group may not be able to connect with the much quieter, more comfortable and, above all, more climate-friendly G580 EQ, as they value the brute character of the off-roader.The German Handelsblatt reported extensively on the model’s sales difficulties in June and quoted an anonymous Mercedes executive: “The car is sitting like lead at the dealerships; it’s a complete flop.” Another manager offered a far more diplomatic assessment: “It’s a niche model, volumes are very low.”The base version becomes almost 15,000 euros cheaperMercedes is currently trying to stimulate sales through pricing. With a regular base price of 142,621.50 euros, the G580 EQ has been anything but a bargain. In May, the company launched a discount campaign that lowered the price of the electric off-roader for private customers by five per cent.It has now doubled the discount to a full ten per cent. This means the entry-level version costs 128,359.35 euros including VAT. That is still a significant amount of money, so it would be wrong to speak of the electric version of the off-road icon being sold off.The offer mainly benefits buyers, as leasing rates drop by a much smaller margin. On a two-year lease, the G580 EQ now costs 1,524 euros per month instead of the previous 1,559.26 euros. No down payment is required, and annual mileage is limited to 10,000 kilometres.The combustion G-Class remains unaffectedDiscounts are generally unusual for the brand – and especially for the G-Class. Previous versions of the off-roader were sold out for months, so the marque with the star has certainly not had to complain about low demand.The fact that Mercedes is now applying discounts specifically to the electric version, intended to future-proof the model line, clearly shows that the G580 with EQ technology has fallen significantly short of expectations. The combustion-engine variants remain untouched by the price cuts.It is highly likely that the German company aims to increase its overall electric sales in the premium segment and thereby improve its CO₂ balance. Both the EQS and EQE saloons have also not been as successful internationally as initially hoped.This reflects a broader industry trend: even in China, electric volume models are being received more positively than luxury EVs. Rolls-Royce is temporarily offering a discount on its first fully electric model, the Spectre, in the US market. Even though the 5,000-dollar reduction barely registers against the base price of 422,000 dollars, it still demonstrates the pressures in the segment.insideevs.de, mbpassion.de, mercedes-benz.de (all in German)This article was first published by Elias Holdenried for electrive’s German edition.