Arnold Schwarzenegger & Kreisel Electric Partner For Mercedes-Benz G-Class EV

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Pop-culture icon and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger recently partnered (to some degree or another) with the Austrian firm Kreisel Electric to create an all-electric version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

A video of Schwarzenegger test driving the new Mercedes-Benz G350d EV conversion in Kitzbuehel, Austria (he was apparently attending the Hahnenkamm ski race) was released. You can watch it here:

The conversion reportedly features a real-world range of 186 miles per full charge, achieved through the installation of an 80 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack. The vehicle can reportedly be recharged to 80% capacity in fewer than 25 minutes (the vehicle can charge at up to 150 kW).

Autoblog provides more:

“Despite weighing well over 5,000 pounds (the batteries alone weigh 1,124 pounds), the Junior star’s newest toy can do 0-62 mph in a respectable 5.6 seconds thanks to a pair of electric motors producing a combined 360 kW — about 482 horsepower.

“Replacing a diesel powertrain with an electric one is a particularly fitting metaphor for the direction mobility is headed. Especially in Europe, where diesel is popular and regulations are tightening, automakers are looking to produce more EVs. While this G-Wagen is a prototype, Schwarzenegger will be driving it around California, providing Kreisel with valuable feedback (and publicity) for its development of electric powertrains. Like a number of other automakers and parts suppliers, Kreisel sees a business opportunity in the growth of electrification, and is even looking beyond transportation to stationary energy storage as well.”

It’s an interesting video. Worth a watch, in my opinion. Schwarzenegger is as enthusiastic as ever.


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James Ayre

James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.

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