VATICAN UNVEILS NEW OPEN-TOP POPEMOBILE
The Vatican has unveiled a new open-top popemobile, an all-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class mid-size luxury SUV, which will be used by Pope Francis to greet pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square. The vehicle features an elevated seat for Francis, allowing crowds to have a better view of the pope. The popemobile is white, the traditional papal color, and is equipped with heating in the papal seat and grab bar to aid the pope’s balance when standing.
The vehicle, a one-of-a-kind creation, required hundreds of hours of craftsmanship to build. Mercedes-Benz Group board chair and CEO Sten Ola Kallenius described the vehicle as “every detail is perfection.” However, the Vatican declined to provide information on the vehicle’s security features or the cost of the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz officials also declined to disclose the cost of the vehicle.
Pope Francis, who has been in office since 2013, is known for shunning the use of bulletproof vehicles, preferring to be close to people. The new popemobile is also seen as a nod to the pope’s emphasis on environmental issues, as it is the first all-electric popemobile. Although Francis has used electric cars on some of his foreign trips, this is the first permanent electric vehicle option for his use in Rome.