Electric Mercedes-Benz G-class will serve as the latest Popemobile

Mercedes-Benz Ceo Ola Källenius personally greeted Pope Francis and headed to the Vatican on Wednesday to hand over the keys to the Pope's new Popemobile, the modified Mercedes-Benz G-class.

The Donor G-class is an electric G580 equipped with EQ technology, which makes the first Mercedes Popemobile powered by batteries. But it is not the first electric Popemobile. The honor will be given to Popemobile, based on Opel Ampera-E, which was delivered to Pope Francis in 2017. The Ampera-E is a readjusted Chevrolet bolt that was temporarily sold by Opel when the brand was still part of General Motors.

The latest Popemobile follows a long line of Mercedes-Benz cars used by Catholic Church leaders over the past 94 years. The first was the Nürburgring Pullman Saloon for Pope Pius 1930, delivered in 11 years. This was followed by Pope John 23 with a 600 Pullman Landauret and 300 cells, while his successor, Paul 6, used a Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landauret and later 300 cells.

The G-class has been the basis of Mercedes' Popemobile since the 1980s, and at that time the Popemobile name became popular. The first G-class-based Popemobile was used by Pope John Paul II, who regularly used it for celebrations in St. Peter's Square.

The new electric Popemobile will go into action later this month when Pope Francis makes an official visit to Brazil. It will also feature prominently during the upcoming 2025 Jubilee celebration.

Equipped with EQ technology for the 2025 model, the G580 features a quad-motor all-wheel drive powertrain rated at 579 horsepower. However, the Pope version is equipped with a powertrain designed for the low speed required for public appearance.

At the rear of the vehicle is a rotating seat that allows flexible movement and allows to cope with the audience from various angles. Behind this seat, two additional seats are arranged, integrated on the left and right to accommodate extra passengers. You can also add a protective canopy when you need it to cope with bad weather.