Pope of Rome gets a swanky new G-Class EV

Mercedes-Benz has just produced another Popemobile for Vatican. Pope Francis has already taken delivery of the all-electric G 580, which he plans on using during the gate opening ceremony at the St. Peter’s Basilica at the end of the year.

The company had to redesign the car from the ground up to accommodate all the requirements. It ended up with a completely new cabin with just one swiveling chair at the back, designed to let the Pope turn towards the audience during parades. The chair is height-adjustable and accompanied by two smaller passenger seats.

The roof was removed from the b-pillars onwards, and a bespoke tall, see-through top was added to protect the interior from the elements. It can be easily removed when not needed.

The left passenger door is no longer present, and the one on the right was remade to better match the rest of the body. A closer look reveals that it’s also back-hinged now.

Power still comes from the standard 587-PS (580 hp / 432 kW) electric powertrain, but the electronic systems on board have been tweaked to deliver the smoothest possible ride at crawling speeds.