The Pope goes electric with a Mercedes-made popemobile EV

Pope Francis received the first fully electric Popemobile.

Mercedes-Benz has supplied the Vatican with popemobiles for decades — and for the first time, the Pope will ride an all-electric version.

“The first all-electric G-Class combines sustainability, elegant design and maximum functionality,” Mercedes-Benz Group AG’s chief design officer, Gorden Wagener, said in a release. “It is a great honor for us to be able to present this special vehicle to Pope Francis today.”

Mercedes-Benz said it has been working on the vehicle for about a year and it contains four electric motors for each wheel. The vehicle’s electric drivetrain was made to accommodate slow rides at public appearances.

The vehicle has a classic white exterior and interior with red flooring.

The vehicle has a classic white exterior, like former popemobiles. In place of the popemobile’s bench seat, the rear now features a swiveling and height-adjustable single seat. Two seats are also on the right and left of the main seat for other passengers.

Popemobiles are specially crafted vehicles to carry the pope through large crowds in St. Peter’s Square.

The company’s popemobiles are specially crafted white vehicles used to carry the pope through large crowds in St. Peter’s Square while behind bulletproof glass. The new vehicle comes just in time for the 2025 Jubilee, which occurs every 2025 years and is expected to attract millions in Rome.

Mercedes-Benz didn’t respond to a request for comment about the vehicle costs, but some estimates have pegged it around $500,000.

While Mercedes-Benz has been the standard manufacturer for years, the Pope ditched his typical popemobile for a Hyundai in 2015. He also previously approved plans for a new electric popemobile made by Fisker, but it’s not clear if that was ever delivered and the EV company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

The new EV popemobile arrives amid a larger push from the Vatican to go all-electric.

Pope Francis specifically has emphasized the need for sustainable development. In his 2015 encyclical letter Laudato si’, he wrote about the dangers of the environmental crisis and cited the need for lifestyle changes. In November, the Vatican also announced plans with Volkswagon to transition to a fully electric fleet by 2030.

Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of management at Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said in a press release that it’s 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,” Källeniu said.