Pope Francis received the key to a new Mercedes-Benz “popemobile” on Wednesday from the CEO of the German luxury car brand.
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Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, presented the Pope with a white and chrome keychain inside a white box after showing off the new convertible vehicle in a parking lot inside Vatican City on December 4.
The modified G-Class features a heated swivel seat and a heated handrail to keep the Pope warm as he greets pilgrims during winter walks around St. Peter’s Square.
The white, all-electric SUV carries Francisco’s coat of arms, black details and chrome wheels. Two small flags of the Holy See fly on the front hood.
The license plate of the papal vehicle is “SCV 1”, the Italian acronym for Vatican City State.
Mercedes-Benz has been supplying vehicles to the Vatican for 94 years. For the past 45 years, the Pope has used “popemobiles” based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
“With the new popemobile, Pope Francis is the first pontiff to travel in a fully electric Mercedes-Benz during his public appearances. It is a great honor for our company and I would like to thank His Holiness for his trust,” Källenius said in a December 4 press release.
Pope Francis has been using fully or partially electric cars for several years. In 2023, the Vatican also announced a partnership with car manufacturer Volkswagen to introduce a fleet of all-electric, zero-impact vehicles to the Vatican in 2030.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.
Hannah Brockhaus
Hannah Brockhaus is Rome correspondent for Catholic News Agency. He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a bachelor’s degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.