Pope to go electric with new G-Class Popemobile
The Pope’s new vehicle is a hand-built one-off vehicle based on the new electric G-Class and has already been personally handed over to Pope Francis in the Vatican. We recently took the electric G-Class for a spin, and found that the electric Jeep delivers on its 473 km range with a 116 kWh battery, however, the price tag of 142,621 euros will likely keep most customers away.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that the Vatican is making electrification efforts: As early as 2015, the Pope was driven around in a hybrid vehicle, and by 2021, Fisker was involved in talks for a new ‘popemobile.’ Fisker’s plans likely also perished alongside its eventual insolvency this year, however, delaying the pope’s first electric car until 2024. In 2020, the Vatican also started electrifying its fleet.
“With the new Popemobile, Pope Francis is the first pope to be travelling in a fully electric Mercedes-Benz when making public appearances. This is a special honour for our company, and I would like to thank His Holiness for his trust,” said Ola Källenius at the handover, adding: “With this Popemobile, we are also sending out a clear call for electromobility and decarbonisation. 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.”
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