Mercedes-Benz has built an SUV for Pope Francis

Mercedes-Benz, which has been supplying cars to the Vatican for nearly 100 years, has unveiled a new "Papamobile" based on the G 580 electric SUV. The car has already been presented to Pope Francis, the automaker said Dec. 4.

Such a Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen is characterized by a unique body design with an open top, missing rear pillars, a "deck" in the rear and a particularly comfortable seat for the pontiff, which allows you to rotate around its axis and address the public from different sides. The left passenger door is welded to the body, while the right one has its hinges moved to the opposite side so that it opens against traffic.

Like previous "Papamobiles", the SUV is painted in the classic pearl white color. In case of bad weather, a special rigid superstructure with a transparent roof is provided. Mercedes-Benz noted that the powertrain of the electric vehicle has been adapted for comfortable low-speed travel at public events.

The powertrain of the standard Mercedes-Benz G 580 develops 587 hp and allows to accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. The maximum range of the electric car on a single charge is 385 kilometers.

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On December 3, Jaguar presented a concept electric car Type 00, which is designed to demonstrate the future direction of the British brand. It will be reborn in late 2025 into a four-door production model of the GT class, which will be built on a new electric architecture JEA development Jaguar and will be able to travel up to 770 kilometers on a single battery charge.