Positively electrified

Hannah here with exciting electric autos, F1 Miami and thrilling rides—new and vintage [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi, it’s [Hannah Elliott](, and this has been a great week for those of us who get excited about expensive, high-powered SUVs. On April 23, [Mercedes-Benz Group AG]( massively [dropped the electric G-Wagon]( during a bash at the reservoir in Franklin Canyon, just off Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills, California. It was very LA. Star sightings included Bradley Cooper, Trevor Noah, Evan Ross and the delightfully statuesque Tracee Ellis Ross. (She once chatted with me in the bathroom of the Sunset Tower hotel; I was in heaven.) At least one Jenner attended, too, and George Russell, in a navy double-breasted suit and white tennis shoes. Travis Scott performed and jumped on top of a blue G-Wagon surrounded by lasers and dry ice. It was so loud, I could feel it. Travis Scott knows his audience. Photographer: Gilbert Flores/WWD What I’ve seen in social media response to the evening has been harsh. Some people apparently hated seeing their beloved G go electric, while others questioned Kylie Jenner’s baby daddy’s relevance to a 98-year-old company from Stuttgart, Germany. My answer: Mercedes-Benz knows its audience. “This is a lifestyle event,” is how [Bettina Fetzer](, Mercedes-Benz’s vice president of communications and marketing, described it during a roundtable with reporters a few hours before Scott hit the stage. Her implication? Those looking for specific details about the power, performance and growth potential of the electric G-Wagon should look elsewhere. So let’s dig in. The awkwardly named Mercedes-Benz G-580 with EQ Technology is the production version of [the electric G-Class prototype]( I drove last year in Austria. With a new G-Turn function, the electric G-Class can rotate 360 degrees in place with the touch of a button. Source: Mercedes-Benz While its performance numbers off- and on-road beat those of its internal combustion engine counterpart (yes, it can easily summit steep inclines, plunge through water and crawl up stairs), the $152,000 electric SUV arrives at a tricky time. Appetite for EVs in the US has cooled as they’ve become politicized; there’s even a strong contingent of buyers vociferously opposing them. Mercedes’ brass remains opaque about how many electric G-Wagons the company hopes to deliver—and when. They say they want to see some sales before charting ensuing steps. My colleagues at Bloomberg Green got a first look at the high-tech recycling machine that’s gobbling up the equivalent of 250,000 dead EV batteries a year. Photographer: Emily Najera/Bloomberg “EVs are in demand and will be more so in the future,” Fetzer told me, noting that fewer than 1% of Mercedes buyers who choose an electric car ever go back to combustion engines. “The question is how fast is demand growing? We need flexibility, and we need to be ready when the consumers are ready.” Michael Schiebe, the head of Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Mercedes Maybach, articulated the plan pretty bluntly: “Sometimes you have to create the demand, and that is what I think we will do with the G-Wagon.” Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire owner of Manchester United, foresees demand for the Fusilier electric G-Class lookalike that his company Ineos will offer. Photographer: Patrik Lundin It’s fitting that Mercedes launched this new electric vehicle four miles from the center of Rodeo Drive. While 15% of the company’s nationwide sales are for EVs, the proportion rises to as much as 40% in Los Angeles, according to Dimitris Psillakis, the president and chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz North America. Still, we’ve all seen big splashes, followed by lackluster sales, for large electric versions of existing icons. In the wake of [General Motors Co.’s]( launch of [Hummer EV]( and [Ford Motor Co.’s]( for the[F-150 Lightning](, there’s risk that the electric G-Wagon could experience the same fate. Just like the Mercedes brass, I’m taking a wait-and-see attitude. My review of the electric Hummer: some $110,000 worth of armor, with soft spots. Photographer: Matt Martian for Bloomberg Businessweek [Automobili Lamborghini SpA](, meanwhile, is taking a more cautious approach to electrification. It unveiled its second-ever hybrid, the Urus SE, on April 24 in Beijing. As the plug-in version of [the powerful SUV that boosted Lamborghini]( to record-setting sales, [the Urus SE]( embodies the automaker’s plan to wait a bit before deciding whether to go all-in on EVs. “We are in a lucky position that we are starting hybridization only now,” Chief Executive Officer [Stephan Winkelmann]( told me during an interview last month. A Lamborghini spokesperson confirmed this week that the company will keep its commitment to produce an all-electric supercar by 2028, but I sense that even this might be subject to change, depending on commercial headwinds. “We have a decade in front of us where we can live with the hybridization,” Winkelmann said. For now at least, Lamborghini is doing just fine at selling gas-guzzling thrill-machines. It has racked up a string of years with record sales. Order books are full until 2026. Connect with Hannah on [Instagram]( and [X](. The second plug-in from Lamborghini, the Urus SE SUV, packs nearly 800 horsepower and lots of attitude. Source: Lamborghini F1 Miami Grand Prix preview The third Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix will run from May 3–5, and it’s crunch time. While [the first year in Miami]( earned largely favorable reviews, Year 2 brought reduced early ticket sales. [F1 Las Vegas’ solid showing]( in November subsequently upped the stakes for Miami F1’s need to cater to American fans, who are rapidly acclimating to a certain level of service in a sport they still find novel. [The food](, [hospitality](, [entertainment]( and logistics should all be on point if Miami is to be considered the premier F1 host city in the US. Tyler Epp, the former executive vice president of business operations for the Kansas City Chiefs who heads Miami F1, says he’s crafted an extensive busing system to help ease traffic and parking concerns and has worked closely with organizers to offer both affordable and exclusive treats during the weekend. On tap this year: [F1 Academy]( and [Porsche Carrera Cup racing]( before the main Grand Prix race; $12,000 “racetrack to recovery” packages at Eden Roc Miami Beach hotel; and a [Bonhams auction of collector cars]( on May 4, following the F1 qualifying rounds. That will be a big weekend for [Ferrari NV](. The Italian automaker will unveil a new car and a new clothing collection at the [Faena Hotel Miami Beach](. Casa Ferrari, located at Turn 5 on the track, looks like a good place to be, too, since its activities will be produced by the [Interluxe Group](, the cabal of secret-agent-style busy bees who orchestrate the best car parties and events in the US. Communal fan areas, such as these fountains during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami, are less expensive to access than suites and VIP decks. Photographer: Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire My dream scenario for attending the Miami F1 race would be to use [HeliFlite](, a helicopter service that will pick you up from the airport (or your condo or yacht) and take you right to the Paddock Club at the Miami International Autodrome track during F1. One-way flights for up to six passengers cost $10,000. Or book a chopper for the whole day to shuttle you and your friends back and forth from the track. That will cost $50,000 on May 3, $75,000 on May 4 and $100,000 on May 5.  But here’s the truth: The real key to having a great time at F1 is to reset your expectations altogether. “The hack is to not be what we are traditionally, which is impatient customers,” Epp told Matt Miller and me on [our Hot Pursuit! podcast]( yesterday. “You’re not getting in and out. This is not a hockey game. You have to recalibrate what is real.” Either that, or make sure the promoter knows you and can get you in ... (Hi, Tyler!) The “Campus Pass” is a general admission package that offers a lot of value for watching the F1 Grand Prix of Miami. Photographer: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images On the more affordable side, Epp says to look for the 12 food trucks that will be on site during race weekend. That’s the best way to taste some of Miami’s renowned, world-class flavors, he says. As for me? Besides attending the race, I plan to avoid the South Beach craziness in favor of calmer, cooler environs such as Thomas Keller’s [Bouchon Bistro]( in Coral Gables and the spa at the [Four Seasons in Brickell](. (Red Carpet Facial, anyone?) Plus, I’ll check out the local car scene at spots like [Zweck]( (Porsches) and [Curated]( (supercars)—and of course, I’ll hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  Catch up on more Formula One [Stroll Mulls Selling Up to 25% Stake in Aston Martin F1 Team]( [Drive to Survive Star Guenther Steiner on Miami F1, New US Grand Prix]( [How to Attend a Formula 1 Grand Prix Without Blowing Your Budget]( [McLaren Racing Sees Every F1 Team Worth More Than £1 Billion]( [Why Formula 1 Was a Wild Success in Las Vegas, Despite Ticket Slump]( [Lewis Hamilton’s F1 Mercedes Race Car Sells For $18.8 Million]( ¡Hola, Aston! This weekend I’m in Seville, Spain, to test-drive the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage. The [British carmaker]( says this new model will have an updated design and an all-new interior architecture and infotainment system. I’m told it will also have class-leading performance numbers, which will require quite a jump in power and torque but will be necessary as the company moves to position the Vantage as the definitive front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car. The launch is critical. The Vantage belongs to the next generation of [Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC]( products designed to have at least 40% gross margins and help Aston reach operating profitability. According to Joel Levington, the director of credit research for Bloomberg Intelligence, [the impending arrival]( of longtime Bentley chief [Adrian Hallmark]( as the fourth CEO since 2020 may add risk to Aston’s goals. One of the last Aston Martins I drove was this DB12 I took through the hills of Monte Carlo. Source: Aston Martin “Hallmark’s prowess at Bentley in [vehicle personalization and pricing]( is important but may not be the operating enhancements needed to turn around Aston’s performance,” Levington says. “Aston Martin’s ultraluxury position is unlikely to change, but its spot as having the highest risk and lowest stock performance within the automotive sector keeps creditors on edge.” I don’t yet know the pricing on the Vantage I’ll be driving, but I do know that [Aston Martin automobiles]( fetch an average of $245,000, roughly twice the average cost of cars from Porsche and four times those from Mercedes-Benz, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. This handsome coupe is likely to cost a pretty penny. I’m hoping it’s more than just a pretty face … So, you had some questions … We call for queries [weekly on our Instagram account]( and [via e-mail](mailto:askpursuits@bloomberg.net?subject=I%20have%20a%20question). Here’s what you were dying to know about this time around. Are you going to Pharrell’s car sale on May 1 in New York? I’ll miss the sale of auto oddballs curated by [Morton Street Partners]( and Pharrell’s [Joopiter auction house]( on my way to covering F1 Miami, but I do have eyes on my friend Phil Toledano’s 1996 De Tomaso Guarà (chef’s kiss), and the 1990 Lancia Delta Integrale he sold my pal [Scarr]( last year. (Toledano goes nuts over quirky cars we rarely see on the street; these are [his BMW M1]( and [his Lancia Delta S4](.) Pharrell is everywhere these days—including Black rodeos. Kamal Miller (left) walked in the designer’s Louis Vuitton fashion show in Paris. Photographer: Gabriela Hasbun for Bloomberg Pursuits Speaking of Toledano, [he’s also a watch guy](. On May 16 he’ll be selling a new watch, called the B/1 by [Toledano & Chan](. He won’t let me publish photos of it yet, but I can tell you it’s a $4,000 timepiece that comes in stainless steel with a lapis lazuli dial, a Swiss automatic movement, assembly in China and a power reserve of 42 hours. The design comes from a combination of mid-century and early 1970s integrated bracelet watches like the Rolex Midas and the brutalist work of architect Marcel Breuer. Basically, Google [Met Breuer]( (or click that link for a slideshow) to get an idea as to how one of the 175 units might look like on your wrist. Do you like EVs? I like good cars. Give me something that delivers what it promises for a fair price—and makes me giggle when I drive it. That’s not too much to ask. The brief, expensive history of BMW’s wild collaboration with Lamborghini. Photographer: Daniel Marcello/Bloomberg New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. 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