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Vatican unveils Pope Francis’ new popemobile, an all-electric Mercedes
Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on December 4, 2024
2 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on December 4, 2024
2 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
By Joshua McElwee
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican on Wednesday unveiled a new open-top popemobile, an all-electric Mercedes-Benz that Pope Francis will use when he greets pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
The vehicle, a modified version of the German company’s G-Class mid-size luxury SUV, has an elevated seat for Francis, so crowds have a better chance of seeing the pope.
It comes in white, the traditional papal colour, and features heating in the papal seat and in a grab bar the pope can use for balance when standing in the vehicle.
“Every detail is perfection,” Sten Ola Kallenius, board chair and CEO of the Mercedes-Benz Group, told Reuters. It took “hundreds of hours of craftsmanship … to build a one-of-a-kind popemobile,” he said.
The Vatican did not immediately say when the new popemobile would come into service, and declined to provide any information about the vehicle’s security features.
Mercedes officials declined to say how much the vehicle had cost.
Francis, who has been pope since March 2013, has largely shunned the use of bulletproof vehicles, preferring to be as close to people as possible.
Francis has also stressed the importance of environmental issues throughout his papacy. Mercedes officials called the new vehicle the first all-electric popemobile, but Francis has also used electric cars on some of his foreign trips.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
A popemobile is a specially designed vehicle used by the Pope to greet and interact with the public during events, ensuring visibility and safety.
An all-electric vehicle is a type of vehicle powered entirely by electricity, using electric motors and batteries instead of traditional fuel.
Environmental issues refer to challenges that affect the natural environment, including climate change, pollution, and resource depletion, which are increasingly important in financial decision-making.
Vehicle craftsmanship refers to the skill and artistry involved in designing and building vehicles, focusing on quality, detail, and functionality.
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