Mercedes-Benz Group CEO Ola Källenius yesterday personally delivered the first all-electric Popemobile to the Vatican.
The unique vehicle, based on the electric G-Class SUV, was designed and hand-built by a dedicated team over the past year. Sporting an elegant pearlescent white paint job, it has been modified to advance smoothly at slow speed during the Pope's public appearances.
“This is a special honour for our company, and I would like to thank His Holiness for his trust. With this Popemobile, we are also sending out a clear call for electromobility and decarbonization. Mercedes-Benz not only stands for the special and individual – but also for consistently creating the conditions for a net-carbon-neutral new car fleet in 2039.”
- Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, during the handover of the vehicle to the Vatican
This vehicle offers Pope Francis an emission-free transportation solution in time for the Jubilee of 2025, a holy year that attracts millions of pilgrims to Rome.
A unique design for specific needs
The new Popemobile’s electric motor, derived from the G580 unveiled last spring, has been specially adjusted to allow smooth movement at low speeds.
Inside, the rear bench seat has been replaced by a height-adjustable swivel seat, positioned in the centre. Two individual seats at the rear can accommodate other passengers.
To ensure the Pope's safety, the removable and raised roof offers protection from the elements.
A tradition stretching back nearly a century
Mercedes-Benz has been supplying vehicles to the Vatican since 1930, starting with a Nürburg 460 Pullman Saloon for Pope Pius XI. The term "Popemobile" appeared in the 1980s, when the G-Class model became the basis for papal vehicles under the pontificate of John Paul II.