Mercedes-Benz unveiled the world's first pure electric Popemobile. The term Popemobile is a combination of Pope, referring to the pope, and Mobile, meaning vehicle, denoting a vehicle specifically for the pope.
Recently, Mercedes-Benz delivered a Popemobile based on the new G-Class electric vehicle 'G580 with EQ technology' to Pope Francis at the Vatican in Rome, Italy. The vehicle was developed over approximately one year in collaboration with the Vatican for the pope.
The electric drive system of the G580 with EQ technology has been adjusted to maximize the advantages of each motor located next to the four wheels, in line with the characteristics of the Popemobile, which needs to operate at low speeds in public. The rear bench seat of the vehicle has been replaced with a single seat that can be adjusted in height at the center.
The main seat can rotate for ease of movement and is designed to allow the pope to speak to the audience from various angles. Behind the main seat, there are two additional seats for extra passengers, one on each side. Similar to previous Popemobiles, the exterior of the vehicle is pearlescent.
Specifically, this Popemobile is significant as it was delivered ahead of the 2025 Jubilee celebration, according to Mercedes-Benz. There is a tradition in the Catholic Church of observing a Jubilee every 25 years. The year 2025 marks a Jubilee, coming 25 years after the major Jubilee in 2000, with millions expected to visit Rome.
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mercedes-Benz AG, said, 'Pope Francis has become the first pope to use a pure electric vehicle from Mercedes as a Popemobile for public events,' adding that 'this Popemobile carries a clear message of electrification and decarbonization.'
Since 1930, when it provided a Nuremberg 460 Pullman salon vehicle for Pope Pius XI, Mercedes-Benz has been supplying vehicles to the Vatican for nearly 100 years. At that time, Mercedes-Benz was recognized for its design excellence and for applying important features of past modes of transportation to its vehicles, which led to a supply contract with the Vatican.