Pope Francis' new official car is an electric Mercedes G-Wagon SUV
- The Mercedes G-Wagon, or the EQG, is the first popemobile to be unveiled by the Vatican that is fully electric.
Mercedes-Benz has offered Pope Francis with a new ride which is all-electric. The German auto giant handed over the EQG, or electric G-Wagon SUV, to the Vatican as the new popemobile during an event on Wednesday. The electric vehicle has been customised according to Pope Francis' choice. He will be using this open-top white electric G-Wagon, or the EQG, to meet and greet pilgrims at the holy city. This is also the first popemobile in history to be powered by battery.
The Vatican is planning to start using the new electric G-Wagon when Pope Francis visits Rome for an event next year. Mercedes has been supplying popemobile to the Vatican for nearly a century. Since 1981, after an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, the carmaker has been offering bulletproof Mercedes cars as popemobile. However, the Pope has now refused to use bulletproof cars as his official ride.
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Mercedes Benz has customised the new popemobile according to Pope Francis' requirements. The electric G-Wagon in pearl white colour does not have a rear bench seat. Instead, it offers a centrally positioned swivel seat with adjustable height. This customisation has been done to help the Pope to address audiences all around him. “This is a special honour for our company, and I would like to thank His Holiness for his trust," said Ola Kallenius, CEO at Mercedes-Benz Group, who was present during the event at the Vatican.
Electric Popemobile: Highlights of the EQG 580 electric SUV
The new popemobile is based on the EQG 580 electric SUV launched in global markets earlier this year. The same electric SUV will also be launched in India next year. Bookings for electric G-Wagon has already started. The electric G-Class SUV, which weighs about three tonne, is a very capable off-road vehicle and is also quick with a sprint time of five seconds to go from zero to 100 kmph. The electric G-Wagon, which gets four electric motors on each wheel, is capable of churning out 579 bhp of power and a staggering 1,164 Nm of peak torque with its top speed limited to just 180 kmph.
The EQG 580 electric SUV comes equipped with a 116 kWh battery pack with a claimed range of up to 473 kms on a single charge. The battery is compatible with up to 200 kW of DC fast charging. This helps the electric SUV to recharge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in about half an hour.
Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India.
