The Vatican is going green, with a new all-electric version popemobile to be used by Pope Francis.
The CEO of Mercedes-Benz, Ola Källenius, and other team members gifted the new convertible, electric G-Class vehicle which was made one of a kind, specifically for Pope Francis.
Pope Francis’ current popemobile is a gasoline-powered G-Class for his weekly General Audiences with the public but one of the main priorities was zero emissions, with the Vatican planning to convert all their vehicles to emission-free by 2030.
“We are moving towards zero emissions and are launching many electric products,” Källenius explained. "It was a great honour for us, paying attention to all the Holy Father’s needs.”
Specialists worked for almost a year with representatives from the Vatican to build the car and the entire Mercedes team that worked on the vehicle greeted the Pope, at his request.
The new electric car includes a rotating seat, handcrafted interior furnishings, a retractable roof for all weather and all-wheel drive which was designed for the low speed the Pope Francis drives at through St. Peter’s Square during public audiences.
Like the vehicles predecessors, the paintjob is white and the license plate still reads SCV 1 (State of Vatican City).
