If you’re a Pope reading this, you’re either Pope Francis or Pope Tawadros II, the Coptic pope. If you’re the Coptic one, I have some bad news: Mercedes-Benz’s latest Popemobile, an all-electric G-Wagen, is only being given to one pope, the Catholic one. Sorry, Coptic Pope! I know, I know, it’s some serious bullshit, but here we are.
You know what else is bullshit? A lot of outlets are touting this as the “first all-electric popemobile,” when it very much isn’t. The first all-electric popemobile was built and delivered for Pope Bendict XVII way back in 2012! It was a modified Renault Kangoo Maxi ZE van.
Here’s a video of that actually first electric popemobile:
Now, there are some that claim that popemobile wasn’t for “official” papal transport, but I think that’s splitting hairs. If it’s a vehicle specifically designed and built for pontiff transport, that’s a popemobile. And that Renault was just that.
(Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
This new popemobile is pretty sweet; it’s sort of like an El Camino-ized G-wagen, with an open-air Pope Containment Unit at the rear. This Pope-holding zone features a swiveling seat and even a heated handrail, and the G-Wagen is interesting in that it seems to be one of the few cars specially developed for slow-speed driving.
From Mercedes-Benz’ press release:
The electric drivetrain of the new G580 with EQ technology (combined energy consumption: 30.4-27.7 kWh/100 km | Combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km | CO₂ class: A)* was adapted to fully utilise the advantages of the four near-wheel motors for the special purpose of slow journeys at public appearances.
(Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The new popemobile is finished in the traditional white with red carpeting, and I think has a sort of nautical look about it. There’s a removable canopy for inclement weather or protection from seagulls. An electric popemobile seems to make a lot of sense – this is a vehicle that travels on very set routes at low speeds, in close proximity to lots of people who likely aren’t fond of facefulls of exhaust. It’s an ideal use-case for an EV, which is why the reports of people complaining about the new popemobile as “a woke mockery of a papacy” are especially baffling.
The holy dude isn’t roadtripping in this thing, dummies. It’s fine.
There’s been a lot of interesting popemobiles over the years, including a really cool one based on a SEAT Panda:
(Photo: SEAT Collection)
…and my favorite, most obscure popemobile, one based on Madagascar’s only indigenous car, the Karenjy Mazana II:
(Photo: Karenjy)
There have been so many popemobiles over the years, and while some are in the hands of the Vatican, others are in museums and collections all over the world. I wonder if the Pope can show up wherever one is stored and demand to use it?
The modern template for Popemobiles likely started in 1980, with the first Mercedes-Benz G230 Popemobile that defined the large Pope Display Box configuration.
(Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
In fact, years ago I described how you could throw together a quick ersatz popemobile if you ever found yourself surprised by a papal visit, and you happened to have a phone booth and a car with a large sunroof like a Renault LeCar around:
(illustration: Jason Torchinsky)
This new Popemobile seems pretty great.
(Photo: Vatican News Service)
Will the pope ever get a chance to drive it? Does he even want to? And doesn’t his coat of arms look kind of like a cockroach?
I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I couldn’t help but see it that way?
Anyway, I hope Pope Francis enjoys his new EV. I mean, I know he will: after all, it’s the Vatican, not Vatican’t!
Madagascar’s Biggest And Only Indigenous Carmaker Delivers 74th Car
What It Was Like Driving The New Electric Mercedes G-Wagen And Its Primitive Predecessors
The New Mercedes G-Wagen Is America’s First Modern EV With A Solid Axle And That’s Extremely Cool
The post There’s A New Electric Popemobile But Don’t Be Fooled, It’s Not The First EV Papal Wagon appeared first on The Autopian.
